AUCTION RESULTS*
OHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
COINS, MEDALS AND CURRENCY
Part XVI
NUMISMATIC AMERICAN HISTORY
MEDALLIC DISTINCTIONS AWARDED TO FIRST PEOPLES
Nueva Espana
La Nouvelle-France
British North America
The United States of America
OCTOBER 17, 2006
1 23 West 57th Street • New York, NY
PUBLIC AUCTION SALE
LOT #
PRICE
LOT #
PRICE
LOT #
PRICE
LOT #
PRICE
1
1300.00
60
13000.00
119
14000.00
178
26000.00
2
1200.00
61
12000.00
120
27500.00
179
1500.00
3
550.00
62
11000.00
121
9000.00
180
1400.00
4
2800.00
63
12000.00
122
9000.00
181
1300.00
5
1000.00
64
11000.00
123
9500.00
182
175000.00
6
1200.00
65
7500.00
124
7000.00
183
26000.00
7
1300.00
66
4000.00
125
22500.00
184
15000.00
8
1500.00
67
15000.00
126
26000.00
185
950.00
9
800.00
68
10500.00
127
18000.00
186
950.00
10
1300.00
69
11000.00
128
25000.00
187
550.00
11
800.00
70
6500.00
129
19000.00
188
5500.00
12
725.00
71
6000.00
130
22000.00
189
125.00
13
650.00
72
5500.00
131
7500.00
14
400.00
73
2200.00
132
13000.00
15
300.00
74
450.00
133
16000.00
16
225.00
75
4500.00
134
14000.00
17
300.00
76
4000.00
135
12000.00
18
325.00
77
8000.00
136
16000.00
19
525.00
78
9000.00
137
19000.00
20
350.00
79
2000.00
138
17000.00
21
325.00
80
5500.00
139
36000.00
22
300.00
81
5000.00
140
22000.00
23
225.00
82
4500.00
141
28000.00
24
500.00
83
15000.00
142
18000.00
25
210.00
84
5500.00
143
26000.00
26
5500.00
85
11000.00
144
16000.00
27
3500.00
86
6500.00
145
14000.00
28
1200.00
87
5000.00
146
28000.00
29
3750.00
88
1600.00
147
9000.00
30
175.00
89
2600.00
148
10000.00
31
2800.00
90
3250.00
149
11000.00
32
2600.00
91
135.00
150
28000.00
33
2600.00
92
2000.00
151
14000.00
34
1900.00
93
3750.00
152
11000.00
35
1800.00
94
800.00
153
11000.00
36
1800.00
95
1800.00
154
15000.00
37
2200.00
96
2000.00
155
13500.00
38
7000.00
97
700.00
156
30000.00
39
80000.00
98
1000.00
157
19000.00
40
30000.00
99
800.00
158
17000.00
41
18000.00
100
50000.00
159
17000.00
42
6500.00
101
16000.00
160
13000.00
43
3250.00
102
17000.00
161
14000.00
44
2800.00
103
32500.00
162
3000.00
45
2200.00
104
15000.00
163
20000.00
46
900.00
105
32500.00
164
13000.00
47
135000.00
106
17000.00
165
7000.00
48
4000.00
107
165000.00
166
8000.00
49
1900.00
108
160000.00
167
4750.00
50
22000.00
109
150000.00
168
32000.00
51
16000.00
110
50000.00
169
18000.00
52
5500.00
111
26000.00
170
8500.00
53
16000.00
112
20000.00
171
17000.00
54
11000.00
113
20000.00
172
15000.00
55
9000.00
114
17000.00
173
12000.00
56
9000.00
115
16000.00
174
16000.00
57
6500.00
116
12000.00
175
46000.00
58
325.00
117
35000.00
176
85000.00
59
14000 .00
118
15000.00
177
36000.00
Stack’s suggests that you employ not only prices
realized but also other readily available sources
of information in establishing numismatic market value.
*These prices represent the last price called by the
auctioneer (the “hammer price”) and do not include the
15% Buyer’s Fee.
STACK’S
NUMISMATISTS
Appraisals Auctions Retail
SINCE 1935
JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
COINS, MEDALS AND CURRENCY
Part XVI
NUMISMATIC AMERICAN HISTORY
MEDALLIC DISTINCTIONS AWARDED TO FIRST PEOPLES
Nueva Espana
La Nouvelle-France
British North America
The United States of America
OCTOBER 17, 2006
123 West 57th Street • New York, NY
PUBLIC AUCTION SALE
FRONT COVER
The flag illustrated is the “Powell Standard,”
National Standard of the Philadelphia Light Horse
(First City Troop), circa 1797. Image courtesy
of “The Museum of the First Troop,
Philadelphia City Cavalry.”
PUB
LIC A U C
T I O N SALE
JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
COINS, MEDALS AND CURRENCY
Part XVI
OCTOBER 17, 2006
Tuesday Evening, October 17, 2006
6:30 EM. Sharp
Lots 1-189
Lot Viewing
October 9, 2006
October 10, 2006
October 11, 2006
October 12, 2006
May 8-12, 2006 — By Appointment Only.
10:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.
10:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.
10:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.
10:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.
October 13, 2006
October 16, 2006
October 17, 2006
10:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.
10:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.
10:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.
Lots will be available for viewing at the above times at our offices at
123 West 57th Street, N.Y. Positively no lots will be shown at Le Parker Meridien Hotel.
Public Auction Sale
This Public Auction Sale will be held in the Tansa Room (3rd floor) of
LE PARKER MERIDIEN HOTEL, 118 West 57th Street, New York City (between 6th and 7th Avenues)
Catalogued by
123 WEST 57th STREET, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10019-2280
Telephone (212) 582-2580
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NUMISMATIC STAFF NUMISMATIC CONSULTANTS
David T. Alexander Michael Hodder
Scott Mitchell Bruce R. Hagen
Tom Panichella NUMISMATIC PRODUCTION AND GRAPHICS
Vicken Yegparian Jan Eric Blamberg
JOHN J. FORD, Jr.
An Appreciation From a Friend
Almost all of the previous Ford catalogs have started with
an appreciation of Mr. Ford written by a well-known numis-
matist friend of his. I tried to select as authors those who had
something to do with the material in the catalogue each was
to introduce, either as an expert in the field, a noted collec-
tor, or a well-known professional numismatist. I have chosen
myself to write the following introductory words.
Indian Peace Medals were Mr. Ford’s most favorite collec-
table. He lavished more study and spent more money on
them than on anything else he collected. If there was one nu-
mismatic project he wanted to start more than any other it
was an in-depth study of the American medals in this series.
Had he lived to finish his project it would have been his
crowning achievement, but he died before he really had the
project underway. The Indian medals he collected are an im-
portant part of his legacy to the numismatic world. This cata-
logue and the one to follow next year are my tribute to his
intention.
Everyone seems to remember his first encounter with John
Ford. For my part, I was a novice coin cataloguer in Septem-
ber 1982, working from an office at the end of a corridor in
Sotheby’s crowded quarters at 980 Madison Avenue in New
York City. One afternoon I received a call from a man whose
voice had a remarkably commanding quality. He introduced
himself as a Mr. Ford, said he was at Sotheby’s to discuss an
early printed copy of the Declaration of Independence, and
thought he might introduce himself to the fellow who had
catalogued the Scott-Kinear Collection scheduled for sale the
following month. The sale included the finest known Baldwin
$10 Horseman and a Wiegand gold bar among other great
items. I had never heard of Mr. Ford before, but the reso-
nance of his voice suggested he might be someone worth
meeting.
The man who introduced himself as Mr. Ford was dressed
in a full length wool overcoat and wore a homburg and
pigskin gloves despite the warmth of the Indian Summer af-
ternoon. His shoes were so well polished my eyes hurt to look
at them. He looked like a guy who could buy anything he
wanted out of any Sotheby’s catalogue he saw. Later, when I
got to know Mr. Ford better, he told me that his best client,
Mrs. Emery May Norweb, instructed him to dress to look like
“he could buy the place,” as he put it. After introductions
were over Mr. Ford invited me to accompany him across
Madison Avenue and have a drink at the Carlyle Hotel bar
across the street. For the rest of the afternoon we talked
coins, documents, obscure World War II engagements and
when we parted we found we had always been friends even if
we had only just met each other.
The phone call that started our friendship was just the
first in an unbroken line for the next 20 years. John called
me nearly every day; our conversations usually lasted an
hour or more. If I hadn’t heard from John for a day or so I’d
worry about his health; if he hadn’t heard from me he’d be
indignant at my neglect. Over the ensuing years our friend-
ship became indissoluble. I soon came to realize that in the
fields of medals and tokens there was no one to touch him, he
knew the objects, the collectors, the market, and the history
behind all three better than anyone else. He came to under-
stand my opinion about colonial coins and medals might be
worth listening to.
We worked well together, ferreting out information about
coins and medals or tokens that added to their interest and
value. He could talk about Tom Elder and Henry Ch;'
as if he had been brought up at their feet. His library was
excelled and he never bejii ud i 1 ; ;ng the information he
found in it. He was proud of his collections and very aware of
their importance. I believe he knew from a very early age
that he was destined for some form of greatness. When he
discovered his talent for numismatics I believe he realized
that was where he would make his mark on life.
Once a year he’d spend a week working the annual ANA
convention looking for what he liked to call targets of oppor-
tunity. I tagged along as much to keep him company as to
learn from him as he canvassed the floor. On PNG Day we’d
cajole some local collector or dealer into driving us around
town so we could find fresh fruit, skim milk, and low carb fat
free snacks to help us survive in place of the standard, inedi-
ble convention fare. We would take adjoining rooms and who-
ever had the fridge wound up sharing the room with
everyone who dropped by to chat or share a “real food meal.”
I felt it must have been like this in the old days, when the
coin business was fun, and I treasured every minute of every
ANA convention.
Mr. Ford was the consummate perfectionist in all he did.
At first this was a talent and a definite advantage in a field
that was, until the early 1980s, characterized by lazy think-
ing and careless writing. Later on his fastidiousness became
something of a handicap, but in the 1960s Mr. Ford’s quest
for the perfect way of describing in words what he saw with
his eyes on a coin or medal led him to create the New Nether-
lands style of auction cataloguing. If I were to choose any one
achievement of his I would say that it was as a cataloguer
that he enjoyed his finest hour. Each of John’s descriptions of
numismatic objects has an internal structure that does not
vary from item to item. The best term I can find to describe
this is “cadence”, each of his catalogue descriptions marches
along the page to the same beat as every other one.
Important, observable facts about coins or medals or what
have you are presented in the same place in each description.
Commentary, grade, provenance and estimate of rarity all
follow the presentation of the unarguable facts about the ob-
ject being described. Sentence structures are tight enough
that transitive verbs do not seem to weaken them; the pas-
sive voice almost never entered a Ford description. If a coin
or medal is important for some solid reason that observation
is made and because Mr. Ford knew his stuff little slipped
through and less went unnoticed. New Netherlands did not
need to hype its product, the things it handled were allowed
to speak for themselves and that did more to get them top
dollar when they sold than any amount of hyperbole ever
might. John’s numismatic cataloguing style has been imi-
tated and occasionally equalled but it hasn’t been bettered.
For almost all of his career Mr. Ford was a step ahead of
the rest. He always seemed to already have a mature collec-
tion of a numismatic area that everyone else was only just
beginning to think about. If you called him up to ask whether
he had ever heard of a rare variety of a colonial copper coin,
for example, he’d not only tell you something about the vari-
ety, he’d also give you the provenance of the specimen you
were asking about and tell you how many more of them there
were, who owned them, how much they paid, and which one
was the best of the survivors. His knowledge seemed to be
uncanny and his memory for detail unnerving.
Mr. Ford did not suffer fools gladly and did not indulge in
flattery, so he had few real friends in numismatics. Many of
those he did have and who are still active have written their
appreciations in these pages. If there is one thing I regret it’s
that he could not have read the catalogues Stack’s has pub-
lished for his collections. My part in them has been the best
way I have of saying that he was once my best friend.
Mike Hodder
— 2 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION, PART XVI
TUESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 17, 2006
6:30 P.M. SHARP
LOTS 1 - 189
IMPORTANT NOTICE
In accordance with the terms of sale, each successful bidder also agrees to pay a
buyer’s charge of fifteen percent (15%) of the winning bid recognized by the auctioneer.
MEDALS STRUCK FOR PRESENTATION TO NORTH AMERICAN
FIRST PEOPLES BY SPAIN, FRANCE, GREAT BRITAIN AND
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1680 - 1890
FRENCH AND SPANISH INDIAN MEDAL TYPES
Neither France nor Spain made medals specifi-
cally and exclusively for presentation to Native
American friends or allies. Rather, both nations
turned to medals already in use for other pur-
poses and chose particular types that would suit
the diplomatic purpose.
True to the pragmatic nature of their race, the
French in North America did not create a spe-
cial medal for award only to First Peo-
ples. Instead, they pressed into such
service pre-existing medal types
that were in use for other pur-
poses. It should be noted that
the French were never as
thoughtless as the British
when it came to presenting
medals to elite Native
Americans. Among the
French, medals were given
carefully and with aware-
ness of the locations and loy-
alties of power within the
social grouping. Evidence for
the presentation and wearing
of medals of these types is well
known and a few examples in sup-
port of the medals to follow is offered
in the descriptions below.
The best known of the French medals is the
Louis XIV dynastic medal that bore the Sun
King’s portrait on the obverse and those of his
son and grandsons on the reverse. This type,
known in different sizes in silver was the typical
Indian reward through the first years of Louis
XV’s reign. The dynastic medal is well known be-
cause numerous examples can be found in the
marketplace. Most of the specimens available
never saw the neck of an elite First Peoples, how-
ever. Mr. Ford preferred to believe that specimens
with contemporary loops were awarded medals
and collected those as “French Indian Peace
Medals.” A more conservative approach would
only acknowledge those Louis XIV dynastic
medals as awarded that had been found in an un-
contaminated First Peoples context.
Another, less well known type was the Honos et
Virtus military medal with a strongly classical re-
verse theme that was not well chosen for the
style of combat typical of the northern
woodlands. The Honos et Virtus
medal is exceptionally rare both
as a silver original and as a sil-
ver or copper Paris Mint re-
strike. The example in the
collection of the American
Numismatic Society with
George Ill’s name en-
graved over that of his na-
tion’s adversary’s is a
remarkable piece. Mr.
Ford was never able to find
an “original” in silver or
even in restrike form and
had to satisfy himself with a
later copper restrike.
In the case of the Spanish, whose
typical gifts for Indians were flags and
batons, local officers occasionally made presen-
tation pieces from silver Crown-size coins. Official
gifts at a higher level took the form, it is believed,
of the A1 Merito y Fidelidad type military presen-
tation medal with the royal portrait as the ob-
verse. The evidence for the A1 Merito y Fidelidad
medal being an Indian one is more hoped for than
found, however, as the type that seems to have
been the one earlier pressed into service as a do-
native was the simpler A1 Merito one. Mr. Ford
strongly believed the more complex type to have
been multi-purpose, however, accounting for the
presence of the type in his collection despite its
being bronze and the type so late.
3
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: French Medals
1 France. Louis XTV. Felicitas Domus Augustae, 1693. Obverse signed I.DOLLIN.F. Betts 75 (types
and layout of the largest size). Silver. 35.2mm. 245.8 gns. Rims 1.8 - 2.0mm thick. Bust right of Louis
XTV; bust left of the dauphin above accollated busts of his three children. Looped at the top for
wearing, probably remounted but the older type, round with point at apex. Edge plain, filed at top.
Extremely Fine. Pale silver gray with light gold around the rims. Very rare in this size. Obverse die
breaking from rim inwards at left.
That this type was presented to Native Americans friendly to the French is shown in the American
Journal of Numismatics (April, 1877), in which Charles Anthon published a contemporary account of
the type as follows: “Extract of a letter of Mother Mary of Saint Helena, hospital-nun of the Hotel-Dieu
in Quebec, dated October 17, 1723. ..‘King Louis XTV had sent silver medals of considerable size, on one
side of which was his portrait, and on the other that of the dauphin, his son, and of the three princes,
children of the latter, to be given to those who should distinguish themselves in war. To them has long
since been attached a flame-coloured ribbon, four fingers in breadth, and the whole decoration is highly
prized among them. ..when any chief dies, he is honorably buried, a detachment of troops, parades, sev-
eral volleys of musketry are fired over his grave, and on his coffin are laid a sword crossed with its
scabbard and the medal under consideration fastened upon them.’ ”
Ex Jacques Schulman on May 24, 1967.
2 France. Louis XIV. Felicitas Domus Augustae, 1693. Obverse signed TB in ligature (T.Bernard).
Betts 75 (types and layout of the largest size). Silver. 41.2mm. 607.1 gns. Rims 2.7 - 3.3mm thick. Bust
right of Louis XIV; bust left of the dauphin above accollated busts of his three children. Looped at the
top for wearing, possibly remounted, older style loop with point at apex. Plain edge. About Extremely
Fine. Deep silver gray toning. Very rare in this size. No obvious signs of die damage either side.
That medals were signs of loyalty and trust among Native Americans, who took these symbols very
seriously, can be seen in the following extracts from the New York State Museum, Bulletin 73 (Archaeol-
ogy 8: Metallic Ornaments of the New York Indians, 1903, pp. 53-54): “Two Iroquois chiefs gave up their
English medals to Vaudreuil in Aug. 1756. In December [1756]. ..an Oneida chief gave up two English
medals to the French, saying: ‘Father. We can not retain two medals which we have formerly had the
folly to accept from our brethren, the English, as a mark of distinction. We acknowledge that these
medals have been the true cause of our errors, and that they have plunged us into bad business. We
strip ourselves of them; we cast them from us, in order not to think any more of the English.’ To take
off the medal was to renounce friendship or allegiance, and this the French encouraged when English
medals were worn. A Seneca chief, who wore an English medal in 1757, said to Governor Vaudreuil: ‘I
tear off the medal of the King of England, which hangs from my neck and trample it underfoot.’”
Ex Jean Vinchon ’ s sale of December 3, 1984, lot 713.
4 -
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: French Medals
I, j/ g A
kikt-
iffll Mm
lijijKf iff. > ¥
Jf Tf\ Ml ft V.
3 France. Louis XTV. Honos et Virtus, n.d. Reverse signed W. Betts 160. Copper. 56.0mm. 1,146.2 gns.
Rims 3.5 - 3.7mm thick. Paris Mint edge type with cornucopia and CUIVRE (i.e., struck 1880 and after).
Bust right of Louis XTV; personifications of military strength and honor shaking hands. About Uncircu-
lated. Good deep mahogany color. Rare even in restrike copper form. Compare Stahl 2-4 (ANS COAC
1991) for the original designs for this type, which are quite different from that seen on this restrike.
In Victor Morin’s manuscript notes preserved in the Ford archive we read: “Certain numismatists
have doubted that these medals were struck for the Indians of Canada, but conclusive proof is found in
a letter by Father Reubaud, Jesuit missionary with the Abenakis, writing of the mission of Saint Fran-
cois in Oct. 21, 1757, and preserved in Vol. Ill of Letters edifiantes et curieuses ecrites des Missions
Etrangeres, where he describes a great assembly of Indian warriors and says ‘The Chiefs and the Cap-
tains are thus distinguished, the former by the neck piece worn by officers and the latter by a medal
which represents on one side the portrait of the King and on the reverse Mars and Bellone who hold
each others hand, with this inscription, Honos et Virtus. He cites this from memory. At the present
time these medals are still found in the possession of Indian Chiefs; Chief Mathias Francois, of Pictou,
traces his to the time of the capture of Louisburg, the time he says when the Micmacs fought with the
French against the English.’ Apparently, this medal was made in two sizes, large and small, as evi-
denced by the presentation of one of each size to Menominee warriors by Louis de Bougainville on July
15, 1756. It should be noted that these seem to have been awarded as marks of military valor and not
as tokens of allegiance or status.”
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
4 France. Louis Philippe. Donative medal, 1845. Obverse signed VATINELLE. Silver. 45.7mm.
747.6 gns. Rims 3.0 - 3.4mm thick. Paris Mint edge with pointing hand and ARGENT (June 1845 to
October 1860). Bust left of the king; wreath within which neatly engraved DONNE Par Le ROI A Ke-
che-us-sin. 1845. Choice Extremely Fine. Deeply toned. Neatly holed. Extremely rare as a donative
type (there were certainly others), unique to this recipient. During 1837-38 George Catlin formed his
“Indian Gallery” of artifacts and pictures and took it on tour across the northeast. In 1840 he opened
the gallery in London. Needing a larger draw, Catlin joined forces with Arthur Rankin in 1843, hired
Iowa Indians as actors, and staged shows for notables and the queen. In 1845 Catlin moved his gallery
to Paris, where Louis Philippe gave him a room in the Louvre palace in which to stage his show. Given
his ignorance of any obvious French political interest in native Americans in 1845, the cataloguer sug-
gests the occasion for the presentation of this medal was the show Catlin staged for the king in the
Louvre in 1845.
Ex Warren Baker, date not recorded; Joseph Mickley Collection (W.E. Woodward, October 28, 1867, lot 1002).
— 5 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Spanish Medal
5 Spanish Mexico. Charles IV. A1 Merito y Fidelidad, 1806. Obverse signed F.GORDILLO.F.
Mo.Ao.1806. Grove C-283. Struck at the Mexico City Mint. Bronze. 60.5mm. 1.316.4 gns. Bust of Car-
los IV right; inscription within palm and laurel wreath. Choice Extremely Fine. Edge filed anciently.
Rims ragged in places as also seen on the Groves plate specimen. The A1 Merito medal type that seems
to have been given to Native Americans in the southwest and central plains was the simple A1 Merito
reverse type and not the A1 Merito y Fidelidad type as collected by Mr. Ford.
Ex Dr. Alberto F. Pradeau Collection (Superior, September 24, 1970, lot 821).
— 6 —
THE JOHN J. FORD. Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
BRITISH MEDALS KNOWN OR CONJECTURED
TO HAVE BEEN PRESENTED TO NATIVE AMERICANS
AS REWARDS OF MERIT OR MARKS OF DISTINCTION
Unlike the French and Spanish, the British government
developed a regular system of medal presentation for native
Americans, but this came fairly late in their presence along
the Atlantic seaboard of the present United States. The earli-
est medals presented to native Americans by English coloniz-
ers were simple silver plates with hand engraved decorations
and inscriptions. These were also, almost certainly, private
affairs made without official sanction at the time. When In-
dian relations first became a matter of interest to the crown,
by the late 17th c., medallic gifts were ad hoc affairs and they
remained so for almost the next century. The royal medal of
Charles II, a generic type of no specific relevance to America,
may have been pressed into service to act as an Indian gift
but this is not certain even though Morin thought so.
Evidence is more definite from succeeding reigns. The sil-
ver coronation medal of William and Mary, 1689, was used as
a donative to native Americans visiting London. Anne’s silver
accession medal, 1702, was also put to the same use. By
George I’s reign a series of copper medals showing an archer
drawing down on a stag was being distributed along the
western frontier, but these were not struck specifically as
gifts for native Americans and were probably not official gifts
either, but rather were presents made by frontier traders for
locally important purposes. Silver gorgets, decorations typi-
cal of military uniform, were also awarded as marks of dis-
tinction and may have filled the role that medals later would.
The smaller archery medals of George II may have been In-
dian donatives, but the larger silver royal medal of the reign
does seem to have been pressed into such service. All these
medallic gifts were, however, on the order of “one-offs”,
medals taken from stock and used as needed.
It was not until the reign of George III that a system of roy-
ally sanctioned medals specially made and sized for cementing
loyalty among native American tribes along the frontier was
instituted. The British system, which survived the wars of
1776 and 1812 and found its fullest expression in Victoria’s
Canadian Treaty series, was copied by the Americans.
CHARLES II
6 Charles II. The Royal Medal, n.d. [1683?]. Obverse signed R (John Roettier). Morin 8, p. 22 (Les
medailles decernees aux Indiens, Ottawa, 1916), Medallic Illustrations 277. Silver. 53.7mm. 1,006.0
gns. Bust right; grand Arms and supporters. About Uncirculated. Deeply toned, the reverse in gun-
metal gray. Prooflike. From the same dies as all six of these in the Ford Collection. There appears to be
no documentary evidence that medals of this type were presented to elite Native Americans. Mr. Ford
thought highly enough of the medal in a presentation context to have collected several examples of it.
Chris Schenkel, who was a student of Ford’s when it came to Indian medals, also included a specimen
in his own collection. Chris’ medal was featured in the 1985 National Portrait Gallery’s exhibition at
the Smithsonian Institution. The present writer also catalogued Chris’ medal, a prooflike Unc. that
sold for $990 in November, 1990.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on June 23, 1969; said ex O’Byrne Collection.
CHARLES II
7 Charles II. The Royal Medal, n.d. [1683?]. Obverse signed R (John Roettier). Morin 8, p. 22,
MI. 277. Silver. 53.8mm. 904.5 gns. Bust right; grand Arms and supporters. About Uncirculated. Light
silver and gold toning. Prooflike. From the same dies as all six of these in the Ford Collection.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on November 18, 1964.
8 Charles II. The Royal Medal, n.d. [1683?]. Obverse signed R (John Roettier). Morin 8, p. 22,
MI. 277. Silver. 53.4mm. 1,068.9 gns. Bust right; grand Arms and supporters. Choice Extremely Fine.
Prooflike. Polished. Probably once in a bezel mount. From the same dies as all six of these in the Ford
Collection.
Ex Spink & Son, Ltd. on October 10, 1969.
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9 Charles II. The Royal Medal, n.d. [1683?]. Obverse signed R (John Roettier). Morin 8, p. 22,
MI. 277. Silver. 53.4mm. 1,000.9 gns. Bust right; grand Arms and supporters. Extremely Fine.
Prooflike. Holed at the top, plugged. Lightly polished. With worn round black leather clad case, brass
hinge, two hook and eye clasps (one broken), the whole warped, apparently contemporary. From the
same dies as all six of these in the Ford Collection.
Ex Christie’s (London) sale of October 28, 1964, lot 14.
— 8 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
CHARLES II
10 Charles II. The Royal Medal, n.d. [1683?]. Obverse signed R (John Roettier). Morin 8, p. 22,
MI. 277. Bronze, gilt. 53.8mm. 848.1 gns. Bust right; grand Arms and supporters. Extremely Fine.
Gilding mostly intact. Edge scraped, test custs there. Once mounted at the top of the obverse. Some
handling marks. From the same dies as all six of these in the Ford Collection.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on June 23, 1969.
11 Charles II. The Royal Medal, n.d. [1683?]. Obverse signed R (John Roettier). Morin 8, p. 22,
MI. 277. Bronze, gilt. 53.8mm. 852.7 gns. Bust right; grand Arms and supporters. Extremely Fine.
Gilding worn on the high points. Once mounted at the top of obverse. From the same dies as all six of
these in the Ford Collection.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on July 2, 1971.
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
WILLIAM AND MARY
12 William and Mary. Coronation medal, 1689. Unsigned. MI. 25. Silver. 35.9mm. 260.3 gns. 2.0mm
thick at center. Busts right (Obverse 1: leaves point to base of A; MARIA narrow; break from rim to
left side second A to curls); Jupiter thundering at Phaeton (Reverse A: 9 in 1689 under first 1 in 11 AP;
GVR wide). Fine to Very Fine. Neatly holed. The portrait of Cherokee leader Cunne Shote, painted in
London in 1762 and now in the collection of the Gilcrease Museum, shows him wearing one of these
around his neck alongside an Anne accession medal and above a George I gorget.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on July 2, 1971.
13 William and Mary. Coronation medal, 1689. Unsigned. MI. 25. Silver. 35.2mm. 253.8 gns. 2.0mm
thick at center. Busts right (Obverse 2: leaves point to M and space between MA; MARIA wide);
Jupiter thundering at Phaeton (Reverse B: ‘9’ in 1689 under stop between ‘T’ and ‘11’). Fine to Very
Fine. Nicely toned. Not holed. These seem to come on thick or thin flans.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on July 2, 1971.
Portrait of Cunne Shote by Francis Parsons, 1 762. Note the
two medals and gorget he wears.
© Sotheby’s Inc., 1999
— 10 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
WILLIAM AND MARY
fcs.. <1 *31 $
14 William and Mary. Coronation medal, 1689. Unsigned. MI. 25. Silver. 35.3mm. 247.3 gns. 2.0mm
thick at center. Busts right (Obverse 1); Jupiter thundering at Phaeton (Reverse A). Fine. Not holed.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on July 2, 1971.
15 William and Mary. Coronation medal, 1689. Unsigned. MI. 25. Silver. 35.5mm. 262.7 gns. 2.0mm
thick at center. Busts right (Obverse 1); Jupiter thundering at Phaeton (Reverse A). Fine. Lightly
buffed. Not holed.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on July 2, 1971.
16 William and Mary. Coronation medal, 1689. Unsigned. MI. 25. Silver. 33.9mm. 151.8 gns. 1.3mm
thick at center. Busts right (Obverse 3: leaves point to bases of A and R); Jupiter thundering at
Phaeton (Reverse C: ‘9’ in 1689 under first T’; GVR narrow). Very Good to Fine. Not holed.
Ex A H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on July 2, 1971.
Lot No. 17
17 William and Mary. Coronation medal, 1689. Unsigned. MI. 25. Silver, gilt. 35.7mm. 131.5 gns.
1.3mm thick at center. Busts right (Obverse 3); Jupiter thundering at Phaeton (Reverse C). Very Fine,
cleaned with reverse hits. Not holed.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on July 2, 1971.
— 11 —
:*>.Q
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
QUEEN ANNE
18 Anne. Accession medal, 1702. Unsigned [John Croker]. MI.l. Silver. 35.5mm. 240.4 gns. Bust left
(Obverse 1: AN touch); crowned heart within its English branches (Reverse A: second V repunched;
acorn points to right side of L; breaks from rim at top). Not holed. About Uncirculated. Semi-prooflike.
Dark toning. Edge anciently filed. The portrait of Cherokee leader Cunne Shote, painted in London in
1762 and now in the collection of the Gilcrease Museum, shows him wearing one of these around his
neck alongside a William and Mary coronation medal and above a George I gorget.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on July 2, 1971.
19 Anne. Accession medal, 1702. Unsigned [John Croker]. MI.l. Silver. 36.0mm. 245.0 gns. Bust left
(Obverse 2: ANN touch); crowned heart within its English branches (Reverse B: second V perfect;
acorn centered under L; no breaks from rim at top). Not holed. About Uncirculated. Prooflike. Nicely
toned. Edge flawed and anciently filed.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on July 2, 1971.
20 Anne. Accession medal, 1702. Unsigned [John Croker]. MI.l. Silver. 35.2mm. 235.0 gns. Bust left
(Obverse 1); crowned heart within its English branches (Reverse C: no acorn L). Not holed. Nice Ex-
tremely Fine. Attractively toned. Edge anciently filed.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on July 2, 1971.
21 Anne. Accession medal, 1702. Unsigned [John Crokerl. MI.l. Silver. 35.1mm. 242.8 gns. Bust left
(Obverse 1); crowned heart within its English branches (Reverse D: acorn points to space between SH).
Not holed. About Extremely Fine. Nicely toned. Edge flawed and anciently filed.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on July 2, 1971.
— 12 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
QUEEN ANNE
22 Anne. Accession medal, 1702. Unsigned [John Croker]. MI.l. Silver. 35.7mm. 239.0 gns. Bust left
(Obverse 3: AN do not touch); crowned heart within its English branches (Reverse B). Not holed.
Choice Very Fine/Extremely Fine. Toned. Edge lightly filed, ‘16’ or ‘76’ anciently scratched thereon.
ExA.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on July 2, 1971.
23 Anne. Accession medal, 1702. Unsigned [John Croker], MI.l. Silver. 35.4mm. 232.7 gns. Bust left
(Obverse 1); crowned heart within its English branches (Reverse D). Not holed. Very Fine. Toned.
Probably once in a bezel mount. Edge rough, seemingly not filed.
Ex Charles H. McSorley on December 31, 1971.
24 Anne. Accession medal, 1702. Unsigned [John Croker]. MI.l. Silver. 35.5mm. 243.1 gns. Bust left
(Obverse 1); crowned heart within its English branches (Reverse D). Not holed. Very Fine. Scratched.
Edge lightly filed.
Ex A.H. Baldwin <6 Sons, Ltd. on July 2, 1971.
25 Anne. Jeton, n.d. Unsigned. MI. 285 (for type). Brass. 24.2mm. 75.7 gns. Bust left; Anne reveals an
ankle to Louis XTV. Very Good. A political token and not an Indian medal.
Ex Spink & Son, Ltd. on June 13, 1967.
13 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE I
With the reign of George I collectors of Indian medals are
on much firmer ground. A series of small, silver dollar-sized
medals in copper, bronze or brass is known to have been dis-
tributed among woodland natives in the middle of the 18th c.
These medals bear the likeness of George I facing right on
the front and a hunting scene on the reverse that typically
shows a male figure drawing his bow at a deer. Medals such
as these have been found in controlled as well as exploitative
excavations of settlement and grave sites, although prove-
nance data on virtually all of those recovered in the 19th and
20th centuries has been lost. The George I medals have been
described by Jamieson (op.cit) and Ebenezer Nii Quarcoopme
(“The Indian Peace Medal of King George I” in The Medal in
America, ed. Alan Stahl, ANS 1988). The 1987 auction of the
Taylor Collection featured a significant number of these
medals, most of which were in remarkable condition. The fol-
lowing short notice from p.56 of the New York State Museum
Bulletin 73 entitled “Metallic Ornaments of the New York
Indians” gives the earlier flavor of the discussion relating to
these medals.
“There is another familiar Indian medal of an earlier date,
and about the size of a silver dollar, which has been found in
New York.. .when the Erie Canal at Oriskany was enlarged in
1849. Some graves were opened, containing 10 or 12 skele-
tons, with ornaments and medals. On one was a head of
George I, with the title, George, king of Great Britain, in cap-
itals. On the reverse was an Indian behind a tree, with bow
and arrow, shooting at a deer.
Besides one of these medals from the lower Mohawk valley,
somewhat indefinitely reported, Mr. Conover described one
from the Read farm in Seneca, which was taken from the In-
dian cemetery there, and from which he deduced its age. He
described it as ‘a copper or brass medal of about 1 inch in di-
ameter. On one side of this medal was the representation of
an Indian with a bow and arrow in the act of shooting at a
deer, a tree being between them, and the rays of the rising
sun being alongside of the top of the tree. On the reverse was
a medallion likeness, and around it and near the edge of the
circumference the words, George, King of Great Britain.”
AN EXCEPTIONAL GEORGE I INDIAN MEDAL
Lot No. 26
26 George I Indian Medal, n.d. (ca. 1714-27). Obverse signed TC. Quarcoopome III-F, Jamieson 2 (for
types). Brass. 41.1mm. 260.1 gns. Bust right; archer at foot of hill drawing his bow against a stag be-
neath a tree atop the hill, sun resplendent above. Original loop, broken open. Fine to Very Fine. Good,
rich brassy brown in color. Types a bit worn but fully present, obverse legend completely legible. No
rim breaks or cracks. A good looking example that does not appear to have been dug.
Ex George Fuld on February 10, 1962.
27 George I Indian Medal, n.d. (ca. 1714-27). Obverse signed TC. Quar.III-F, Jamieson 2 (for types).
Brass. 41.0mm. 291.0 gns. Bust right; archer at foot of hill drawing his bow against a stag beneath a
tree atop the hill, sun resplendent above. Loop broken away, edge break there. Fine to Very Fine. Deep
brown obverse, lighter reverse color. Some obverse corrosion but type and legend bold. Reverse softer
as expected, some pitting there also.
Ex F. C. C. Boyd Estate.
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE I
28 George I Indian Medal, n.d. (ca. 1714-27). Obverse signed TC (but illegible). Quar.III-F, Jamieson
2 (for types). Brass. 39.7mm. 277.0 gns. Bust right; archer at foot of hill drawing his bow against a stag
beneath a tree atop the hill, sun resplendent above. Probably never looped. About Good to Good. Flan
broken away at bottom edge, bright brassy brown, surfaces quite rough and corroded, types and legend
partially visible, lacquered, dug. Possibly cast.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd, on June 24, 1965.
Lot No. 29
29 George I Indian Medal, n.d. (ca. 1714-27). Obverse signed TC. Quar.II-C, Jamieson 2 (for types).
Brass. 40.2mm. 378.0 gns. Rims 2.1 - 2.2mm thick. Bust right; archer at foot of hill drawing his bow
against a small stag beneath a tree atop the hill, sun resplendent above. Loop broken away, edge filed
there. Very Fine. Deep brown obverse, lighter reverse color. Minor obverse pitting. Reverse much
sharper than expected. Atypically thick and heavy, short ring when struck. Included here as a study
piece.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
30 Archer’s token, 1719. Unsigned. White metal. 28.4mm. 100.8 gns. Standing male archer; crude 1719.
Very Good. Unknown maker or purpose. Mr. Ford liked to think this might have been an Indian medal
of the reign.
Ex New Netherlands Coin Company stock in 1965.
— 15 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE II
Like those of his predecessor, George II’s Indian medals
are usually small brass, copper or bronze pieces of types simi-
lar to those of the previous reign but on smaller modules.
They are also, as a general rule, much harder to find than
medals of George I’s reign and there may be as few as 50
known in all collections. Mr. Ford’s collection is quite re-
markable for having quite so many, all of which are from the
same die pair. The silver George II dynastic medal with ar-
morial reverse has been found in the ground in North Amer-
ica and may have been an Indian present. At least one
George II and Queen Carolina medal is said to have been
found in an 18th c. context in Rochester, New York.
The “star” of the George II Indian medals is, without any
doubt, the 1757 Quaker or Duffield medal. A medal sorely in
need of a decent, modern study, the Quaker medal has re-
cently been shown to have been made as a gift for Native
Americans involved in the negotiations leading to and the
signing of the Treaty of Easton in 1757-58.
OUTSTANDING GEORGE II MEDAL
Lot No. 31
31 George II Indian Medal, n.d. (ca. 1727-60). Unsigned. Jamieson figure 5, Betts 167. Brass.
24.8mm. 95.3 gns. Bust left, Latin legend (George I’s medal legend was in English); archer in chase
across a clearing looses his arrow against a stag who runs beneath a tree. No loop. Extremely Fine
and the nicest seen (LaRiviere’s was graded Fine). Good brassy gold color, some original luster re-
mains. Fairly sound surfaces, noticeable pit on royal neck. Alan Stahl has cast doubt on these being In-
dian medals. The cataloguer suggests the jury is still out on the issue.
Ex Fred Baldwin on June 24, 1965.
32 George II Indian Medal, n.d. (ca. 1727-60). Unsigned. Jamieson figure 5, Betts 167. Brass.
24.4mm. 77.1 gns. Bust left; archer in chase across a clearing looses his arrow against a stag who runs
beneath a tree. No loop. Choice Very Fine. Dark brown color. Surfaces rough but types and legend
mostly clear.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
33 George II Indian Medal, n.d. (ca. 1727-60). Unsigned. Jamieson figure 5, Betts 167. Brass.
24.4mm. 68.7 gns. Bust left; archer in chase across a clearing looses his arrow against a stag who runs
beneath a tree. No loop. Very Fine. Dark color and worn but types and legend bold.
Ex New Netherlands Coin Company 54th Sale (April 22. 1960, lot 615).
— 16 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE II
34 George II Indian Medal, n.d. (ca. 1727-60). Unsigned. Jamieson figure 5, Betts 167. Brass.
24.7mm. 71.2 gns. Bust left; archer in chase across a clearing looses his arrow against a stag who runs
beneath a tree. No loop. Choice Very Fine for wear grade. Bright and brassy looking, both sides
scratched.
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
35 George II Indian Medal, n.d. (ca. 1727-60). Unsigned. Jamieson figure 5, Betts 167. Brass.
24.5mm. 79.4 gns. Bust left; archer in chase across a clearing looses his arrow against a stag who runs
beneath a tree. No loop. Fine. Brassy brown, reverse brighter, some surface granularity, types mostly
clear, full legend.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on June 16, 1967.
36 George II Indian Medal, n.d. (ca. 1727-60). Unsigned. Jamieson figure 5, Betts 167. Brass.
24.3mm. 64.1 gns. Bust left; archer in chase across a clearing looses his arrow against a stag who runs
beneath a tree. No loop. Very Good/Fine. Dark brown, some old scratches but types and legend mostly
legible.
Ex New Netherlands Coin Company 54th Sale (April 22, 1960, lot 617).
37 George II Indian Medal, n.d. (ca. 1727-60). Unsigned. Jamieson figure 5, Betts 167. Brass.
24.4mm. 51.7 gns. Bust left; archer in chase across a clearing looses his arrow against a stag who runs
beneath a tree. No loop, edge broken away there. Sharpness of Extremely Fine. Good brassy brown
color, minor surface granularity. A worthwhile piece despite the serious break.
Ex New Netherlands Coin Company 54th Sale (April 22, 1960, lot 616).
— 17 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE II
38 George II Indian Medal, n.d. (ca. 1727-60). Obverse signed IR. Apparently unpublished. Brass.
37.5mm. 234.0 gns. Bust left, GEORGIVS. II. REX.; archer in hunting costume drawing bow from be-
hind vine wreathed tree against a stag leaping to the right. Original, integral loop. Very Fine. Nice,
rich brassy brown and gold color. Rims broken or irregular in places on both sides. Discoloration/corro-
sion spots on front and back. Mr. Ford was unable to attribute this piece but believed it to be an Indian
medal of the reign. The cataloguer has done no better but suggests it was an archery and not an Indian
medal.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on Bastille Day, 1969.
THE TREATY OF EASTON MEDALS
The dies for the medal awarded to Native Ameri-
cans engaged in the negotiations leading to and the
signing of the Treaty of Easton 1757-8 (so identified
for the first time by our friend John Adams) were cut
by Edward Duffield for the Society of Friends in Phil-
adelphia. The Philadelphia based Friendly As-
sociation for Regaining and Preserving
Peace with the Indians by Pacific
Means commissioned Duffield to
prepare dies for award medals in-
tended for presentation to Indi-
ans then engaged in the
discussions that would lead, a
year later, to the signing of the
treaty at Easton, Pennsylva-
nia. Duffield had earlier made
the dies for the Kittanning
Medal and his choice and the
designs commissioned were
both a clear counterpoise to the
belligerent events of the year
previous. When the dies were fin-
ished the Friendly Association pre-
sumably supplied Mexican 8 Reales
coins to serve as planchets for the medals.
Duffield ground the obverse and reverse types
off the host coins and struck his medals, leaving the
leaved edge device of the Mexican coin behind to
serve as clear evidence for later collectors of an orig-
inal issue medal.
After the initial event, Duffield’s dies passed to
Friendly Association’s care where they remained for
the next 35 to 40 years. During that time it is possible
that some other pieces were struck, includ-
ing examples in white metal. The Joseph
Richardson family and Richardson,
Jr., all of whom were Quaker, seem
to have retained them for some
term of years before sending
them to the Mint in the teens of
the 19th century. In June,
1813, Richardson wrote to his
friend Thomas Wistar saying
that he remembered his father
striking the Duffield medals,
that he had had the dies for
many years, and that if Wistar
was interested, Richardson
would strike impressions from
them. The dies that eventually went
to the Mint were used to strike im-
pressions for as long as they lasted. The
obverse die failed early and later collapsed
into four sections, at which time it was replaced by a
copy. Mint restrikes in silver from early die states are
known but lack the leaved edge of the originals.
— 18 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE II
AN OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL TREATY OF EASTON MEDAL
The Finest Known to the Cataloguer
Ijot No. 39
39 The Quaker, Duffield, or Treaty of Easton Medal, 1757. Unsigned. Betts 401, Jamieson figure 8,
Julian IP. 49, Tancred p.46. Silver. Original, struck over a Spanish American 8 Reales. 43.7mm.
399.2 gns. Bust left of George II; colonist and Indian seated around a council fire passing a peace pipe.
Holed for suspension as made. Leaved edge of the undertype. Uncirculated. Reverse scratched
around periphery. Surfaces lightly reflective. Lovely, rich steel gray color with iridescent blue and rose
highlights. A simply splendid example and to the best of the cataloguer’s knowledge the finest known
example of the medal. Extremely rare: the cataloguer has records of only 13 of these including the
three offered here.
The census of known survivors currently is: (1-3) American Numismatic Society, plated in Money of
Pre-Federal America', (4) Winterthur, counterstamped WG over date; (5) Alan Weinberg ex the April
28, 1995 sale by Samuel J. Cottone Auctions (upstate New York), an exceptional specimen; (6) Richard
August; (7-8) New England collection; (9) Ken Rendell ex LaRiviere:2007 (at $52,900), plated in The
Western Pursuit-, (10) April, 2006 Freeman’s sale (Philadelphia), a remarkable example (at $90,000
hammer price); (11-13) John J. Ford, Jr. Collection.
Ex William Fox Steinberg, date unrecorded.
40 The Quaker, Duffield, or Treaty of Easton Medal, 1757. Unsigned. B.401, Ja. fig.8, J.IP.49, Tan-
cred, p.46. Silver. Original, struck over a Spanish American 8 Reales. 44.0mm. 406.5 gns. Bust
left of George II; colonist and Indian seated around a council fire passing a peace pipe. Holed for sus-
pension as made. Leaved edge of the undertype. Fine to Very Fine. Good, lighter gray color with some
pale golden iridescence around the rims. The surfaces clearly show the piece was once worn as a deco-
ration. No deformities or signs of careless handling, this is a solidly collectable example of this impor-
tant medal. Extremely rare as noted above, with only 13 different examples recorded by the
cataloguer.
Ex New Netherlands Coin Company on August 24, 1967, Charles M. Wormser, Horace Louis Philip Brand, Virgil Brand
Collection (B.G. Johnson appraisal no.2951 on May 23, 1935), Dr. Hall Collection.
— 19 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
41 The Quaker, Duffield, or Treaty of Easton Medal, 1757. Unsigned. B.401, Jam. fig.8, J.IP.49,
Tancred p.46. Silver. Original, struck over a Spanish American 8 Reales. 43.9mm. 402.3 gns.
Bust left of George II; colonist and Indian seated around a council fire passing a peace pipe. Holed for
suspension as made. Leaved edge of the undertype. Very Good to Fine. Pale gray with light gold and
russet around the rims. Some superficial marks, initials CS scratched onto the center of the reverse.
Extremely rare as noted above, with only 13 different examples recorded by the cataloguer.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
42 The Quaker, Duffield, or Treaty of Easton Medal, 1757. Unsigned. B.401, Jam. fig.8, J.IP.49,
Tancred p.46. Silver. U.S. Mint restrike from the original dies on a virgin flan with plain edge.
44.1mm. 560.9 gns. Types as usual. Not holed, mount points clear. Uncirculated. Semi-prooflike.
Beautifully toned in iridescent blue and gray. Obverse die bulging across from left to right but no other
breaks. Rib around edge as seen on copper specimens from much later states. Very rare as a silver
strike from a fairly early state of the obverse. This was probably made in the period after 1810 when
the dies were in the possesion of the Mint.
Ex Philip H. Ward Collection ( Stack’s , April 30, 1964, lot 518).
43 The Quaker, Duffield, or Treaty of Easton Medal, 1757. Unsigned. B.401, Jam. fig.8, J.IP.49,
Tancred p.46. White metal. U.S. Mint restrike from the original dies. 43.4mm. 397.4 gns. 2.9mm thick
at the centers. Types as usual. Not holed, mount points clear. About Uncirculated. Pale, somewhat
bright silver gray color. From the dies in their perfect states, a strike fairly early in their lives, perhaps
to be dated ca. 1810. No rib around edge. Very rare as an early restrike.
Ex New Netherlands Coin Company, Horace Louis Philip Brand, Virgil Brand Collection.
— 20-
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE II
44 The Quaker, Duffield, or Treaty of Easton Medal, 1757. Unsigned. B.401, Jam. fig.8, J.IP.49,
Tancred p.46. White metal. U.S. Mint restrike from the original dies. 43.3mm. 396.2 gns. 3.2mm thick
at the centers. Types as usual. Not holed, mount points clear but smaller than usual. About Uncircu-
lated. Cleaned. Pale bright silver gray color. From the dies in their perfect states, another example of a
strike fairly early in the lives of these dies and also perhaps to be dated ca. 1810. No rib around edge.
Very rare as an early restrike.
Ex Syracuse Stamp & Coin Company on August 19, 1961.
45 The Quaker, Duffield, or Treaty of Easton Medal, 1757. Unsigned. B.401, Jam. fig.8, J.IP.49,
Tancred p.46. Copper, bronzed. U.S. Mint restrike from the original dies. 45.1mm. 965.4 gns. 5.8mm
thick at the centers. Types as usual. Not holed, mount points bold. Choice About Uncirculated. Good,
even mahogany color. From the usually seen later states of the dies, the obverse broken twice across
and the reverse failing from top to bottom. Rib around edge.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
46 The Quaker, Duffield, or Treaty of Easton Medal, 1757. Unsigned. B.401, Jam. fig.8, J.IP.49,
Tancred p.46. Copper, bronzed. U.S. Mint restrike from the original dies. 43.3mm. 1,063.1 gns. 7.5mm
thick at the centers. Types as usual. Not holed, mount points vestigial. Choice About Uncirculated.
Deep brown color. Remarkably late die states even for one of these and a piece that must have occa-
sioned some amusement when it was struck. Obverse breaks advanced and center now flattening cross-
wise. Reverse transverse break has seperated the die into two uneven planes. This belongs in a really
advanced cabinet.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
— 21 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE III
The medals presented by the British to Native Americans
during the long and bellicose reign of George III are the best
attested in contemporary sources and the most familiar to
modern collectors. They have been studied by some of the
greats in numismatics of the last two centuries, from
McLachlan to Morin to Jamieson, each of whom in one de-
gree or another based his conclusions on typology and his-
tory. The most recent study of this monarch’s “Indian Peace
Medals” by John W. Adams, published at the turn of the 21st
century, is solidly based upon documentary sources and ob-
servations from a substantial portion of the corpus of surviv-
ing medals. It may be considered as this generation’s
explanation of the practice of presenting medals to native al-
lies of British forces in the field.
THE MONTREAL MEDAL OF 1760
Named to Songose of the Mohicans
One of Seven Documented Survivors
The Only Traced Specimen Available to Collectors
■
Lot No. 47
47 Montreal Medal, n.d. [1760]. Obverse signed DCF (Daniel Christian Fueter, New York City silver-
smith 1754-ca. 1775). Adams 1, Fuld-Tayman Ml (“The Montreal and Happy While United Medals” in
1987 Coinage of the Americas Conference proceedings), Jamieson figure 9, Betts 431 (for type). Silver.
Cast and chased as made. 44.9mm. 343.5 gns. Skyline view of the City of Montreal from the American
side of the St. Lawrence River, five steeples showing, large flag at right, MONTREAL above and en-
graver’s stamp, below; reverse deeply engraved MOHICRANS in the center, more lightly in cursive at
the top SONGOSE (this partially effaced), other script lettering nearer the bottom edge now essen-
tially illegible. Original hanger at top. Plain edge. Fine. Medium silver gray on the front, lighter on the
back. Obverse mostly free from the attentions of the improvers, back cleaned, scratched, damaged. Ex-
tremely rare.
Almost all of the 182 medals known to have been ordered made in 1760 have disappeared over the
past two hundred and more years. The present specimen is one of just 7 different Montreal Medals doc-
umented by Jamieson and Adams of which only four can be traced today (Adams 4 and 7 are the
same medal). The whereabouts of three, the medals named to Caneiya of the Onondaga, Aruntes of the
Mohawk, and Madoghk of the Mohicans are unknown (the first was last documented in 1903, the other
two in 1926 and 1925, respectively). The medal named to Tekahonwaghse of the Onondaga is in the
collection of the Chateau Ramezay, the one named to Koskhahho is in the Glenbow Museum, and the
one named to Tantalkel of the Mohicans is in the Public Archives of Canada. Mr. Ford’s medal, named
to Songose of the Mohicans, is the only one known to be owned privately and so is the only one con-
firmed available to collectors.
The Montreal Medal was conceived as a reward for the loyalty of the 182 Native Americans who re-
mained with Sir William Johnson and the British army to the end of the Montreal campaign in 1760.
Major General Jeffrey Amherst ordered the medals made to serve as a “badge of Distinction” and a
laisser passez into and from British army bases. Medals were distributed by Johnson in the late Spring
and Summer, 1761. Details can be read in Johnson’s collected papers (volume 10, p. 254). The medal’s
design and execution have been criticized as inept and miserly but it should be remembered it was
meant to be a durable free pass through the lines and not an ornament for display. This particular
medal was described by Beauchamp in 1903. His account will be found below.
Ex a Mr. Kelly in 1875, Joseph Wescot, E. Hollenbeck in 1902 ; C.A. Laframboise, Robert Brule on June 8, 1961.
— 22 —
THE MONTREAL MEDAL OF 17B0
The Montreal Medal has been described and argued
over for decades, particularly by McLachlan and
Beauchamp. Victor Morin’s description, written early
in the preceding century, is a pleasant snapshot of the
state of understanding of his time.
“The conferment of the following medal has not yet
been clearly explained; it is designated by McLachlan
under the name of ‘Medal of the Conquest’ in his work
‘Medals awarded to the Canadian Indians’, and he puts
forth the opinion that it was distributed by Sir William
Johnson, Major General and Superintendent of Affairs
of the Six Nations, to the heads of the Indian troops
whom he had led to the attack of Montreal under
Amherst in 1760.
The design of this medal differs completely
from the conventional types followed until
this time, for the obverse represents a
fortified town, situated on a river-
bank, and has at the top the in-
scription ‘MONTREAL’, while
in a depressed ellipse at the
bottom is the exergue
‘D.C.F.’. The reverse is
smooth, but on the speci-
mens which have been
found up to the present
time, an unskillful hand
has engraved as the leg-
end the name of the Chief
to whom the medal was
awarded, and the name of
his tribe as the inscription.
This medal, which is in sil-
ver, seems to have been cast
and chased; it has a loop, and
its diameter is 45 millimetres.
At first the representation of
Montreal which it shows seems fan-
tastic, but if one compares it with the
views of the town which were published at
this time, particularly those of the ‘London Magazine’
and the ‘Royal Magazine’ of 1760, and that of Patten
published by Jeffreys in 1762, one can easily recognize
the same source of inspiration; the engraver depicts, as
well as one can do in the limited space of a medal, the
River St. Lawrence, the fortified wall, the fort on which
flies the British flag, the Jesuit church, the Congrega-
tional chapel, the Parish church of Notre-Dame, the
Hospital, the Franciscans church, and a sixth steeple,
placed, however, too far back, is supposed to represent
the General Hospital. It is wrongly claimed that the
Bonsecours chapel was among the steeples thus
named, for it had been destroyed in the fire of 1754,
and it was not until 1772 that it was rebuilt.
The designer of this medal, who took the trouble of
making himself conspicuous by monopolizing the exer-
gue for his signature ‘D.C.F.’ remained, however, un-
known by the principal numismatists for a long time;
the novelty of the design led McLachlan to conclude, in
the articles which he wrote about this medal up to
1908, that it had been made in America by an un-
known engraver of New York, while Betts contented
himself with quoting this opinion and observing that
the initials ‘D.C.’ might well be the initials of this en-
graver, and the letter ‘F’ simply stands for the word
‘fecit’. But McLachlan’s opinion has since been con-
firmed, such as he asserted in a communication to ‘The
American Journal of Numismatics’ in 1909, and one
can get a clear idea of it on consulting Chaffers work
‘Gilda Aurifabrorum’ or that of Howard ‘Old London
Silver’; this mysterious unknown man was a silver-
smith named D.C. Fueter, (whom Howard, by a typo-
graphical error, misnamed Fuetes) of Chelsea, who had
registered his mark (the initials D.C.F. in an oval) at
the Guild of Silversmiths in London in 1753.
One can see in Forrer’s ‘Dictionary of
Medallists’ that Fueter actually emi-
grated to New York in 1754 and that
he went later to Bethlehem, in
Pennsylvania, then returned to
Switzerland in 1769. These bi-
ographical details also dispel
Beauchamp’s opinion,
which ascribes this medal
to the period of the Amer-
ican revolution.
Twenty-three of these
medals appear to have
been distributed by Sir
William Johnson; of this
number, six are known up
to the present time, they
bear the names of the
Chiefs Caneiya and Teka-
honwaghse of the tribe of the
Onondagos, Aruntes of the Mo-
hawks, Tantalkel, Songase and
Madoghk of the tribe of the Mohi-
grans or Mohicans. The medal of
Tekahonwaghse belongs to R.W. McLach-
lan of Montreal, and it has the following note
engraved at the base of the reverse: ‘Taken from an In-
dian Cheif (sic) in the American War 1761’; if it be-
longed to a Chief killed in 1761, the theory that it was
awarded in 1760 would therefore be plausible. Mr. W.H.
Hunter of Toronto purchased the medal of Madoghk,
and that of Tantalkel is in the Parliament library at Ot-
tawa. George III came to the throne of England on the
25th October 1760; the capitulation of Montreal had
just been signed and the flag of the Bourbons had been
replaced by the banner of St. George from the shores of
the Atlantic to the sources of the Great Lakes. But
peace not yet being settled, England, who was anxious
to keep her conquests in America, wished to win the
friendship of the various Indian tribes by rewarding the
warriors who had fought under her flag and by making
treaties of friendship with the others.”
Some accounts of the discoveries of some specimens
of the Montreal Medal may be read in the pages (61-3)
of the New York State Museum Bulletin 73 (“Metallic
Ornaments of the New York Indians”):
— 23 —
“Mr. J. V. H. Clark described one several times ex-
amined by the writer. ‘A silver medal was found near
Eagle village, about the size of a dollar, but a little
thinner, with a ring or loop at one edge, to admit a
cord by which it might be suspended. On one side ap-
pears in relief, a somewhat rude representation of a
fortified town, with several tall steeples rising above its
buildings, and a citadel from which the British flag is
flying; a river broken by an island or two, occupies the
foreground, and above, along the upper edge of the
medal, is the name Montreal. The initials, D. C. F.,
probably of the manufacturer, are stamped below. On
the other side, which was originally made blank, are
engraved the words CANECYA, Onondagoes. There is
no date on this or any other of the medals. But this
must be at least older than the Revolution.’
This should be Caneiya in script and Onondagos in
capitals. Fig. 281 shows this medal as drawn by the
writer at Mr. L.W. Ledyard’s, Cazenovia N. Y. in 1882.
It was in his possession for many years. If of revolu-
tionary date, as the writer thinks probable, the
Caneiya of the medal might correspond with the
Onondaga chief Kaneyaagh, of the treaty of 1788. Mr.
McLachlan kindly furnished figures of some medals.
Fig. 282 shows one of these, and his description fol-
lows: Obverse, Montreal; in the exergue, DCF stamped
in a sunk oval. A view of a walled town with a body of
water in the foreground, into which a small stream
flows. There are five church spires ranged along the
middle of the town, and a flag displaying St. George’s
cross to the right. Reverse. Plain; Onondagos is en-
graved in capitals across the field, and the name Teka-
honwaghse in script at the top. Some one has, at a
later time, scratched across the lower part with a sharp
pointed instrument, in three lines, / Taken from an In-
dian / chief in the AMERICAN / WAR, 1761./
Mr. Betts also illustrated and described this medal.
In the addition [to Betts] there is an evident error for
there was no war in that year, but, if it were 1781, it
would correspond with the American war, as the Eng-
lish termed that of the Revolution. Allowing this date,
Tekahonwaghse, an Onondaga chief who signed the
treaty of 1788, or Tagonaghquaghse, appointed chief
warrior of that nation in 1770, and perhaps the chief of
1788. Mr. McLachlan had this medal from the Bushnell
collection. He added, ‘I know of another in the collection
of James Ollier of New York. I am under the impression
that it is also in silver, and that it bears the name
Onondagos.’ No account could be obtained of this.
[Fig. 283] is a similar silver medal, bought by Mr.
McLachlan in London. On the reverse this has Mo-
hawks in the field, and Aruntes above. It is in extra
fine condition. This name does not appear among the
many on record in the French war, nor is there any re-
sembling it, but ‘The Answer of Thayendanegea a
Sachem, and of Ohrante a warrior of the Mohocks to
the Right Honble Lord George Germaine’, London,
May 7, 1776, is preserved in full.
Those familiar with the great variations in spelling
Indian names, and the rank of this person, will have
little doubt that Ohrante and Aruntes are the same. It
is a curious coincidence that this well preserved medal
was obtained in London, where Ohrante spent some
months. In another place the Mohawk warrior is called
Oteroughyanento, Indians often having two names. In
the writer’s exhaustive list of Iroquois personal names
this nowhere else appears, but it is an unexpected grat-
ification to link the three Iroquois names obtained on
these medals with well known persons of the revolu-
tionary period.
Concerning these two Mohawks, Guy Johnson wrote
in London. Jan. 26, 1776: ‘The Indian Chief who ac-
companied me, with his companion, are persons of
character and influence in their country; they can
more at large speak on any matters that may be re-
quired of them.’
[Fig. 284] is another medal of which Mr. McLachlan
says ‘It is in the government collection at Ottawa, and
came from the collection of Mr. I.F. Wood of New York.
This is in pewter, and has Mohicrans in the field, either
misspelled in the copy or the original. Above is Tanta-
lkel. Judging from the medal given to Tantalkel of the
Mohicans, we infer that his services could not have been
valued so highly as those of the Onondaga warrior, for
his reward is in the baser metal. How one of that tribe
came to receive a medal is explained when we learn that
70 River Indians accompanied Johnson to Montreal.’
Another Mohican fared better. The Albany Argus,
Sep. 27, 1875, described a silver medal found by Mr.
Kelly of Ballston Spa N. Y. The obverse was as usual.
On the reverse, as reported, was Mohicans in capitals,
and Son Gose in script. Mr. Joseph E. Wescot pur-
chased it of the finder, and sold it in 1902 to Mr. E.
Hallenbeck, 749 Liberty st., Schenectady. Through the
kindness of the latter, the writer is not only able to
give an accurate figure, but to settle the spelling of a
word in doubt. It is Mohigrans, the engraver having
mistaken in his orders G for C, and R for K. It was easy
to do this. The Indian’s name is also Songose. This
medal was found on the Kelly place, near the bank of
the Mourning kill and the old Canadian trail. It is
somewhat worn, but in good condition. It is remark-
able that so many have the name of this nation.
In the work of C. Wyllys Betts, already mentioned, he
speaks of another Mohican silver medal, on the reverse
of which was Madoghk, with the nation’s name engraved
in the usual way. He also takes note of the doubtful
spelling, now cleared up by the writer’s examination of
the Hallenbeck medal. The error was made in all.
The Mohicans became so closely linked with the Mo-
hawks as to share their fortunes and that of the John-
son family. Some of them are mentioned in the raids in
the Mohawk valley. The medals can hardly be referred
to Burgoyne’s luckless campaign, for each was engraved
for a particular person, nor were the Onondagas yet in
the field. None known bear the Oneida name, a signifi-
cant fact, for they were on the American side. Nor were
they among Butler’s presents in the winter of 1777-78,
who gave ‘in particular 300 of Burgoyne’s silver medals
to their young warriors.’ They are not all of silver.”
— 24
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE III
48 Montreal Medal, n.d. [1760]. Obverse signed DCF (Daniel Christian Fueter, New York City silver-
smith 1754 - ca.1775). A.l, F-T.M1, B.433 (for type). Pewter casting, chased. 45.1mm. 345.8 gns. Sky-
line view of the City of Montreal, MONTREAL above and engraver’s stamp, below; Tankalkel
engraved at top above MOHICKANS in the center. Looped as cast. Essentially as made. Dark in color.
This is a well made casting from the pewter original, ex Robert McLachlan’s collection, that is now in
the Public Archives of Canada.
Ex Richard Kenney, date unrecorded.
49 Happy While United, 1764. Obverse signed DCF (Daniel Christian Fueter) and stamped N YORK.
Types of Adams 2, Tayman & Fuld HWU4, Betts 510. An electrotype copy in uncertain metal probably
from the British Museum specimen. 56.5mm. 863.6 gns. Bust right of George III; settler and Indian sit-
ting on a bench beneath a tree and sharing a pipe. Wing and pipe suspension device. Very Fine. One of
four identical pieces said to have been from an “old estate” and sold in Jeffrey Hoare’s Sale 56 (June
26, 1997), this being lot 1506. Mr. Ford purchased this as a study piece and it is so presented here.
Provenenace as noted.
— 25 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE III
THE [1777] LION AND WOLF MEDALS
Adams argues persuasively for dating the Lion and Wolf
medals to December, 1777 and for their author to have been
Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne, the occasion being the Fort
Niagra campaign and the defense of Canada. For a medal
with such a particular initial purpose the Lion and Wolf
medal is remarkably complex in terms of its numismatics.
There are two obverse dies known although all but one
medal were struck from the first obverse. That die was in
service from 1777 to 1801 at least, when it was paired with
the standard royal armorial reverse. In contrast, there are
two different reverses known on the Lion and Wolf medal
and each of them developed breaks during its life. The first
reverse, Adams’ A, is known perfect and broken whereas his
reverse B is always found broken at least once and some-
times twice.
Most Lion and Wolf medals known were struck on solid,
thin silver planchets with rims added afterwards. A few,
Adams notes just three, were made of struck silver obverse
and reverse plates that were joined together and banded. A
handful appear to have been struck entire, with their rims of
a piece with the planchets and set up during striking. The di-
versity evidenced in the medal’s morphology suggests it was
made in various locations at different times by whatever
means were then to hand as supplies of new medals were de-
manded. The Lion and Wolf medal is very rare. Adams’ cen-
sus of known specimens, covering both private as well as
public institutional collections, lists only 19 different exam-
ples known to survive. Of that number, four are in the Amer-
ican Numismatic Society’s collection and six others are in
various Canadian and American institutional holdings. Only
nine medals are owned by private collectors, two of which are
in the Ford Collection.
MAGNIFICENT LION AND WOLF MEDAL
From the First Reverse
A
Lot No. 50
50 The Lion and Wolf. Undated [ 1777]. Adams 10.1; census specimen 18. Choice Extremely
Fine/About Uncirculated. Silver. Solid. Probably single piece construction. 61.3mm. 833.8 gns. Un-
signed dies. Armored bust right of George III; a lion watchfully attentive to a threatening wolf, church
building and two houses in the background. Original loop with pyramidal finial. Trivial edge flaws as
made. A magnificent piece with lovely, deep coin silver gray toning and some faint blue and rose iri-
descence. Perfect reverse state. Very rare. Adams lists only 19 different specimens of this medal and
the cataloguer notes that his 17 was misreported by Mr. Ford and does not exist.
Ex an unidentifed Wallis & Wallis (Lewes) sale via A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on June 23, 1969.
— 26 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE III
A SECOND RARE LION AND WOLF MEDAL
From the Second Reverse
51 The Lion and Wolf. Undated [1777]. Adams 10.2; census specimen 19. Very Fine. Silver. Solid.
Probably single piece construction. 61.2mm. 1,105.6 gns. Unsigned dies. Armored bust right of George
III; a lion watchfully attentive to a threatening wolf, church building and two houses in the background.
Original loop with pyramidal finial as on the preceding (but different from that pictured in Jamieson). A
second example of this very rare medal. From the second reverse, the differences minute and of little
importance. Quite a sharp reverse impression. Harshly cleaned, beginning to retone naturally around
the rims. Both reverse die breaks clear.
Ex Estes Gale Hawkes on November 5, 1975.
52 George III and Queen Charlotte, n.d. [1761]. Unsigned. Adams 11.1 (obverse 1, reverse A),
Jamieson figure 10. Silver. 39.0mm. 289.9 gns. Facing busts of the king and queen, drapery above;
royal arms and supporters. Not looped. Not holed. Choice Uncirculated. Prooflike. Nicely toned in
deep gray with iridescent blue and rose toning. Sharp strike. Some rim filing. Very rare: of the 19
specimens in Adams’ modern census fully 9 are in public institutional collections. Adams listed this as
an Indian medal on the strength of a shared reverse (his Adams 9.1) with the small size standard
George III medal and a somewhat obscure invoice for medals from August, 1777. Adams conjectured
that the early breakage of the obverse of the smallest George III medal led to the obverse of the George
and Charlotte medal being pressed into substitute use as an Indian medal. Alan Stahl classed it as a
marriage medal whose evidence for Indian usage was inconclusive. Several generations of Canadian
scholar-collectors preferred to list it as an Indian medal as did the late Mr. Ford.
Ex Fred Baldwin on August 2, 1 969.
— 27
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
THE STANDARD UNDATED INDIAN MEDALS OF GEORGE III
These are the medals Adams calls the “standard” undated
George III type. These medals, known in solid and shell form
and in three different sizes, were the ones most frequently
presented to Native Americans and First Peoples. In one
form or another this was the type of medal presented by
British forces in the field during the 1776-83 and 1812-14
wars with the Americans and the generally peaceful inter-
lude between them. The largest size medal, the 76-77 mil-
limeter diameter piece, was the one more often than not
given to native recipients. It is certainly the one, today, that
collectors most frequently find offered in notable auction
sales. The number made during the nearly 40 years it was ac-
tively in use as a mark of distinction is unknown. Adams sug-
gests a combined figure for all three sizes of 2,000 to 3,125, a
range whose breadth must encompass all the requirements
that go into an educated guess.
Given the relative rarity of the three sizes it as close to cer-
tain as one can get in such matters to venture that most
made to begin with were of the largest size. The medium, 60
millimeter size is quite rare and Adams lists only 16 of these
known today. The smallest, 38 millimeter size medal (which
shares its reverse with the George III and Queen Charlotte
medal) is of the highest rarity with only two or three known,
one of which is in the Glenbow Museum and the finest in Mr.
Ford’s collection.
The undated George III medals were made in one of three
ways. The earliest made seem to have been those struck as
obverse and reverse shells, joined together and then rimmed.
The same method was used for Lion and Wolf medals with
which these are contemporary. It also served as the prototype
for the earliest Indian medals made and issued by the fledg-
ling United States of America, the Washingtons and Jeffer-
sons. Others were struck on solid planchets to which were
added rims in a seperate operation. These are rarer. The
third method, struck with rims set up in the striking process,
are the rarest of them all. Needless to say, it is difficult to
distinguish the second and third kinds from each other.
Their timbre when struck does not help much.
The literature on this type is quite full but of all previous
studies on the subject only Jamieson’s continues to be cited
in auction catalogue descriptions. Like the rest of his work
on Indian medals, however, Jamieson’s treatment of the un-
dated George III medals was confused and so very difficult
to use. To his added credit, Adams’ discussion of the large
size George III undated medal renders Jamieson both fi-
nally understandable and at the same time obsolete. Adams
helpfully finds just three different obverses that can be dis-
tinguished by a single or double roll of curls over the royal
ear and further in the case of the former by the six or seven
rivets in the regal armoring. He also notices two reverses,
differing in the placement of the lion supporter’s paw. Judg-
ing from the die breaks on the medal, its emission sequence
appears to be the double roll of curls obverse married to the
First reverse, that obverse breaks, it is replaced by the sin-
gle roll of curls/six armor rivets obverse still married to the
same first reverse.
At some time, the single roll of curls/seven armor rivets ob-
verse is married to a second reverse and further medals are
struck off. Dating these three emissions is tricky, but it is
likely that the first was the earliest since the second and
third made medals into the 1812-14 period by which time the
first had already been retired.
AN EXTRAORDINARY SMALL SIZE GEORGE III MEDAL
The Sole Specimen in Private Hands
53 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Smallest size. Adams 9.1; census specimen 2.
Good Very Fine. Silver. Solid. Single piece construction. 37.9mm. 308.4 gns. Unsigned dies. Ar-
mored bust right of George III (Obverse 1); royal Arms without Hannoverian charge (Reverse A). Orig-
inal, ornamental loop. Good, even rich silver gray in color on both sides. No sign of obverse die failure
or breakage. Some scattered handling marks, none serious. From the same dies as the piece in the
Glenbow Museum. Extremely rare: there are only two examples traced today, this and the Glenbow
medal. The Chateau Ramezay museum had one in 1966 but it is untraced today. Pierre Breton illus-
trated a specimen without a hanger that could have been the Chateau Ramezay’s or a different medal.
Mr. Ford’s example is the sole specimen known to the cataloguer that is owned privately and appears
to be the only one available to collectors. From the same reverse die as seen on the George III and
Charlotte marriage medal offered earlier.
Ex Melvin E. Came on December 5, 1962.
- 28-
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE III
54 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Middle size. First reverse. Adams 8.1; census
specimen 15. Choice Extremely Fine to About Uncirculated. Silver. Solid. Single piece con-
struction. 60.6mm. 893.9 gns. Unsigned dies. Armored bust right of George III (Obverse 1); royal Arms
without Hannoverian charge (Reverse A). Original, ornamental loop. A lovely example. Good, even
silver gray color on both sides. Scratches, some obvious. Usual reverse die break from lion to unicorn
across the lower part of the arms. Quite rare: Adams lists only 16 of this size.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
55 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Middle size. First reverse. Adams 8.1; census
specimen 14. Choice Very Fine. Silver. Solid. Single piece construction. 60.4mm. 873.0 gns. Un-
signed dies. Armored bust right of George III (Obverse 1); royal Arms without Hannoverian charge
(Reverse A). Replacement loop. Deep and fairly even silver gray on both sides. Scraped near the mount.
Usual reverse die break from lion to unicorn across the lower part of the Arms. Quite rare: Adams
lists only 16 of this size.
Ex Fred Baldwin on August 2, 1969.
— 29 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE III
LOVELY SECOND REVERSE GEORGE III SOLID MEDAL
The Middle Size
56 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Middle size. Second reverse. Adams 8.2; census
specimen 12. Extremely Fine. Silver. Solid. Single piece construction. 60.5mm. 723.7 gns. Un-
signed dies. Armored bust right of George III (Obverse 1); royal Arms with Hannoverian charge (Re-
verse B). Original, ornamental loop. Pale silver and gold on the front, deeper gray and iridescent blue
on the reverse. Loop crushed. Some damage to the rim at 1:00 repaired anciently. Some scratches. Lac-
quered. Quite rare: Adams lists only 16 of this size. Misidentified by Mr. Ford as a first reverse speci-
men and so listed in the Adams census.
Ex Stack’s ca. 1970.
57 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Middle size. Second reverse. Adams 8.2; census
specimen 16. Very Fine. Silver. Solid. Single piece construction. 60.8mm. 753.9 gns. Unsigned dies.
Armored bust right of George III (Obverse 1); royal Arms with Hannoverian charge (Reverse B). Origi-
nal, ornamental loop. Pale to medium gray with some light gold iridescence. Loop crushed. Deeply
dented at upper right on the front. Edge damaged in several places. Reverse decorated with sunburst
rays. Quite rare: Adams lists only 16 of this size.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
- 30 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE III
58 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Middle size. Second reverse. Adams 8.2; census
specimen 13. Poor. Pewter. Solid. Single piece cast construction. 59.8mm. 661.9 gns. Unsigned dies.
Armored bust right of George III (Obverse 1); royal Arms with Hannoverian charge (Reverse B). No
loop. Holed twice. Damaged. “AD 1801” scratched below bust on obverse (clearly, the date of the re-
verse armorial type change). Not a real Indian medal but included in Mr. Ford’s holdings as an older
study piece with a decent provenance and listed here in deference.
Ex Virgil Brand Collection via Horace Louis Philip Brand, New Netherlands Coin Company on November 20, 1961.
LOVELY FIRST OBVERSE GEORGE III SOLID MEDAL
59 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Largest size. First obverse. Adams 7.1; census
specimen 65. Extremely Fine. Silver. Solid. Single piece construction. 79.1mm. 1,872.1 gns. Un-
signed dies. Armored bust right of George III, double row of curls, seven rivets (Obverse 1); royal
Arms, paw to N (Reverse A). Ornamental loop of the type seen on the Lion and Wolf medals offered
earlier and the solid Adams 7.1 to follow, unlike that seen on the shell Adams 71. or the 7.2 and 7.3
medals in this collection. Fairly even medium gray color with some iridescence. Light scratches. Heavy
rim bruise at base of reverse. Perfect obverse state. Triple struck. This size was a work horse medal for
the British judging by the 86 specimens in Adams’ list.
Ex Virgil Brand Collection via Erna B. Zeddies on March 11, 1969.
— 31 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE III
60 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Largest size. First obverse. Adams 7.1; census
specimen number uncertain. Choice Very Fine. Silver. Solid. Two-piece construction, body plate
and encircling rim. 79.1mm. 1,462.0 gns. Unsigned dies. Armored bust right of George III double row
of curls, seven rivets (Obverse 1); royal Arms, paw to N (Reverse A). Ornamental loop (probably reposi-
tioned) of the type seen on the Lion and Wolf and solid Adams 7.1 George III medals offered earlier,
unlike that seen on the shell Adams 7.1 and the 7.2 or 7.3 medals to come.
Light silver gray, once cleaned. Scratched severely in the right reverse field, lightly elsewhere. The
flan appears bent at 7-8:00 on the obverse but this is probably a manufacturing defect more than mis-
handling. Clear evidence on both sides of bevelling around the outside of the struck plate, to allow for
inletting into the encircling rim. This method of manufacture seems not to have been the norm. Per-
fect obverse state. Triple struck. Mr. Ford did not supply Mr. Adams with enough particulars on all the
medals he said he owned to allow for certain identification of each one in Mr. Adams’ listings.
Ex Robert Brule (Montreal) on June 8, 1961, said ex C.A. Laframboise.
32 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE III
61 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Largest size. First obverse. Adams 7.1; probably
census specimen 61. Extremely Fine. Silver. Shells. 76.9mm. 819.3 gns. Unsigned dies. Armored
bust right of George III double row of curls, seven rivets (Obverse 1); royal Arms, paw to N (Reverse
A). Usual ornamental loop. Rich and lovely silver gray color. Some unevenness in the flan as expected
from a medal of this construction (much like that seen on the American Jefferson medals later in this
auction). Obverse plate free from enclircling rim from 1:00 to 6:00. Cleaned as all these seem to have
been at one time. Perfect obverse state. Adams’ research suggests that fewer than half of the largest
undated George III medals were made as shells.
Ex Robert Brule (Montreal) on June 8, 1961, said ex C.A. Laframboise.
(Jr 1$ (S' 5$
GEORGE III
62 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Largest size. First obverse. Adams 7.1; census
specimen 80. Choice Very Fine. Silver. Shells. 76.6mm. 594.8 gns. Unsigned dies. Armored bust
right of George III double row of curls, seven rivets (Obverse 1); royal Arms, paw to N (Reverse A). Re-
placement loop. Light to medium silver gray with some gold color. Thinner and more even in appear-
ance than the preceding. Two obvious small dents, light scratches elsewhere. Indecipherable grafitti at
top and bottom of the reverse. India inked around top of reverse “Given to Indian Chiefs for
Assistance///]”. Perfect obverse state. Triple or quadruple struck imparting good sharpness.
Ex Stack ’s on October 14, 1965 in exchange for lot 3745 from Cohen-Kreisberg’s June 28, 1965 sale.
63 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Largest size. Second obverse. Adams 7.2; proba-
bly census specimen 74. Extremely Fine. Silver. Solid. Single piece construction. 78.3mm. 1,379.0
gns. Unsigned dies. Armored bust right of George III, single row of curls, seven rivets (Obverse 2);
royal Arms, paw to N (Reverse A). Original, ornamental loop. Deep silver gray color. Scratched on both
sides, some heavy. Broken obverse state.
Ex Ottawa Coin on December 14, 1963.
— 34 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE III
64 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Largest size. Second obverse. Adams 7.2; census
specimen 59. Very Fine. Silver. Solid. Probably single piece construction. 78.4mm. 1,368.2 gns. Un-
signed dies. Armored bust right of George III, single row of curls, seven rivets (Obverse 2); royal Arms,
paw to N (Reverse A). Plain, replacement loop, probably contemporary or nearly so. Deep gray color.
Surfaces quite rough in places, roughened elsewhere. Chased in places. Flan slightly twisted. Broken
obverse state. Not holed as described under Adams 7.2 census specimen 59.
Ex Ralph -J. Lathrop on March 28, 1959, from a Frank Katen sale in 1950.
65 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Largest size. Second obverse. Adams 7.2; census
specimen 75. Very Good. Silver. Solid. Single piece construction. 77.9mm. 1,279.9 gns. Unsigned
dies. Armored bust right of George III, single row of curls, seven rivets (Obverse 2); royal Arms, paw to
N (Reverse A). No loop, hole anciently enlarged nearly through the rim. Medium gray color with some
iridescence. Surfaces rough in places. Scratched both sides but otherwise a clean and not bad looking,
clearly once awarded, medal. Broken obverse state.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
35 —
GEORGE III
66 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Largest size. Second obverse. Adams 7.2; not in-
cluded in the census. About Very Fine. Pewter. Solid. Single piece cast construction. 78.2mm.
1,158.0 gns. Unsigned dies. Armored bust right of George III, single row of curls, seven rivets (Obverse
2); royal Arms, paw to N (Reverse A). No loop. Not holed. Some damage. Not a real Indian medal but
included in Mr. Ford’s holdings as a study piece. Presumably not communicated to Mr. Adams for his
census. Listed here in deference.
Ex lot 493 of Glendining’s sale of September 23, 1970, purchased by A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd.; said ex Ken Walden.
UNUSUALLY NICE THIRD OBVERSE GEORGE III SOLID MEDAL
The Largest Size
Lot No. 67
67 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Largest size. Third obverse. Adams 7.3; census
specimen 63. Choice Extremely Fine. Silver. Solid. Single piece construction. 76.3mm. 1,434.6
gns. Unsigned dies. Armored bust right of George III, single row of curls, eight rivets (Obverse 3); royal
Arms, paw to I (Reverse B). Original, ornamental loop. Even, rich silver gray with blue iridescence.
Unusually nice and of exceptional quality. A small edge dig at 3:00 bothered Mr. Ford but not the cata-
loguer. Obverse die broken from shoulder through cravat to jawline.
Ex Fred Baldwin's list of June 24, 1965, item 35.
— 36 —
GEORGE III
68 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Largest size. Third obverse. Adams 7.3; probably
census specimen 77. Choice Very Fine to Extremely Fine. Silver. Solid. Single piece construction.
76.8mm. 1,587.6 gns. Unsigned dies. Armored bust right of George III, single row of curls, eight rivets
(Obverse 3); royal Arms, paw to I (Reverse B). Original, ornamental loop. Even, deep silver gray with
blue iridescence. Exceptionally nice looking. Minor rim marks, edge broken at mount point as made. Un-
usually nice and of exceptional quality. Obverse die broken from shoulder through cravat to jawline.
Ex Fred Baldwin on August 2, 1969.
69 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Largest size. Third obverse. Adams 7.3; probably
census specimen 76. Choice Very Fine. Silver. Solid. Single piece construction. 76.4mm. 1,394.3
gns. Unsigned dies. Armored bust right of George III, single row of curls, eight rivets (Obverse 3); royal
Arms, paw to I (Reverse B). Original, ornamental loop a bit squashed. Medium silver gray color. Mod-
erate handling. A thoroughly representative example of the type. Obverse die clearly broken on shoul-
der and on cravat but seemingly disconnected between, a bit earlier than ordinarily seen on Adams 7.3.
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
— 37 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE III
70 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Largest size. Third obverse. Adams 7.3; probably
census specimen 83. Choice Very Fine. Silver. Solid. Single piece construction. 76.5mm. 1,900.5
gns. Unsigned dies. Armored bust right of George III, single row of curls, eight rivets (Obverse 3); royal
Arms, paw to I (Reverse B). Original, ornamental loop. Medium silver gray. Cleaned, tooled and chased
extensively, accession number incompletely effaced from base of reverse. Lacquered. Unusual scratch
across top of obverse. Obverse die broken from shoulder through cravat to jawline.
Ex Estes Gale Hawkes on November 5, 1975.
71 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Largest size. Third obverse. Adams 7.3; probably
census specimen 73. Fine to Very Fine. Silver. Solid. Single piece construction. 77.0mm. 1,405.9
gns. Unsigned dies. Armored bust right of George III, single row of curls, eight rivets (Obverse 3); royal
Arms, paw to I (Reverse B). Replacement loop. Silver gray and iridescent blue. Crudely tooled around
neck and jawline. XXXXX neatly scratched on obverse rim at 2:00. Seemingly perfect obverse die state.
Ex Philip H. Ward, Jr. Collection (Stack's, April 30, 1964, lot 519).
— 38 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE III
72 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Largest size. Third obverse. Adams 7.3; uncertain
census specimen number. Very Good to Fine. Silver. Solid. Single piece construction. 76.9mm.
1,436.7 gns. Unsigned dies. Armored bust right of George III, single row of curls, eight rivets (Obverse
3); royal Arms, paw to I (Reverse B). No loop. Single hole. Deep silver gray. Slightly bent and mishan-
dled. Seemingly perfect obverse die state.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
73 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Largest size. Third obverse. Adams 7.3; census
specimen 64 and 84. Very Good. Silver. Solid. Two piece construction, body plate and encircling
rim. 76.2mm. 1,223.8 gns. Unsigned dies. Armored bust right of George III, single row of curls, eight
rivets (Obverse 3); royal Arms, paw to I (Reverse B). No loop. Two holes. Medium silver gray. Loop an-
ciently torn away, original hole pierces through edge. Rim broken away from 2:00-4:00. Seemingly per-
fect obverse die state. Adams specimens 64 and 84 are the same medal.
Ex Ralph Goldstone on August 21, 1968.
— 39 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE III
Lot No. 74
74 George III Indian Peace Medal. Undated. Largest size. Third obverse. Adams 7.3; census
specimen 78. Very Fine. Pewter. Solid. Single piece cast construction. 76.8mm. 1,255.1 gns. Unsigned
dies. Armored bust right of George III, single row of curls, eight rivets (Obverse 3); royal Arms, paw to
I (Reverse B). Severely cracked obverse die, die crack partially tooled away. No loop. Single tiny hole.
Dark gray. Slightly bent. ‘250’ in pencil or ink at upper obverse. Not a real Indian medal but included
in Mr. Ford’s holdings as a “contemporary or early casting.” Listed here in deference.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
THE 1794 SIMCOE MEDALS
In 1793 John Simcoe, Lieutenant Governor of Upper
Canada, ordered medals struck with quite peculiar devices.
None has ever been seen. In their absence, Melville Jamieson
suggested that the small medals of George III dated 1794
were the medals actually shipped to Simcoe, and the attribu-
tion has stuck since. It is not without its detractors, however,
Laurence Brown and Alan Stahl among them. Adams takes a
middle stand, suggesting that as some sort of small medal
was certainly distributed to native Americans that was re-
jected by its recipients it would be reasonable to accept the
“Simcoe” medal as the type referenced. Adams concludes by
writing “All in all, the ‘Simcoe’ medal has a respectable
North American tradition.” The cataloguer is sure Mr. Ford
agreed with that assessment.
75 George III or Simcoe Indian Peace Medal. 1794. Adams p. 130-31; Jamieson figure 19; Morin
24, p. 39, figure 15; Dalton & Hamer, Addenda, Mdx.184, bis II, Stahl 48, 49. Extremely Fine.
Silver. 32.1mm. 188.9 gns. Obverse signed MILLER. Bust right, date below; royal arms, supporters,
motto. No loop. Not holed. Edge jettered: MAY HE EVER REIGN IN THE HEARTS OF HIS PEO-
PLE. Usual edge lettering. Rich silver gray color with some light golden iridescence. Quite rare. A
single die pair has been identified on these medals.
Ex Glendining’s sale of March 12, 1958, lot 127.
76 George III or Simcoe Indian Peace Medal. 1794. Adams p.130-31; Jamieson figure 19; Morin
24, p. 39, figure 15; Dalton & Hamer, Addenda, Mdx.184, bis II, Stahl 48, 49. Choice Very
Fine. Silver. 32.1mm. 185.5 gns. Obverse signed MILLER. Bust right, date below; royal Arms, sup-
porters, motto. No loop. Holed at the top. Plain edge. Deep silver gray with some blue-gray in places
around the rims. Very rare: the cataloguer knows of only one other piece with a plain unlettered edge,
the example in the Glenbow Museum. From different dies than the preceding.
Ex Glendining’s sale of March 12, 1958, lot 128.
— 40 —
GEORGE III
THE WAR OF 1812 MEDALS
Unlike the medals awarded to Native Peoples by the
British during the previous war with the Americans and dur-
ing the brief interlude preceding the War of 1812, those is-
sued by the government in 1814 were the outcome of a
homeland process that, at its end, created a lovely medal of
large size that was struck too much too late. Large numbers
were made but these did not see initial distribution until the
final year of the war. These medals are quite frequently
found in auction sales and their prices realized are a good
guide to their scarcity compared to the largest undated
George III medals. Nevertheless, the Thomas Wyon designed
dies, finely made planchets, and nicely executed striking all
serve to make an aesthetically pleasing piece.
Jamieson, in his Medals Awarded to North American
Chiefs, 1714-1922, relates an anecdote originally told by
artist George Catlin (1794-1872). “During the early years of
Queen Victoria’s reign, while gathering material for his book
[1851] and making sketches of Indians living in the United
States, Catlin found several chiefs of the Sioux and Dahcotas
tribes there living several hundred miles south of the Cana-
dian border, wearing the medals of effigy of George III and
still cherishing a lasting friendship for the English. These
medals had been presented to them as rewards for their ser-
vices to the British during the War of 1812-1814.
One of the chiefs, learning that Catlin was soon to re-
turn to England, shook him cordially by the hand and
then brought forth, with great pride, a large George III
medal, which, from being worn next to his naked breast,
had become very highly polished. Exhibiting the obverse of
the medal and pointing to the face of His Majesty, the
chief made the singular and significant speech ‘When you
cross the Big Salt Lake, tell my Great Father that you saw
his face, and it was bright.’ To this Catlin replied, ‘I can
never see your Great Father, he is dead.’ After a long si-
lence the Indian asked if there was no Great Chief in Eng-
land, and on being told that a young and beautiful woman
was now queen of Great Britain, he again withdrew the
medal and with much solemnity said, ‘Tell my Great
Mother that you saw our Great Father, and that we keep
his face bright.’ ”
77 George III Indian Peace Medal. 1814. Smallest size. Adams 14.2; census specimen 9. Very
Fine to Extremely Fine. Silver. 38.7mm. 449.9 gns. Obverse leaves point to TI. Unsigned. Laure-
ate, mantled bust right of George III (Obverse 2); grand royal Arms (Reverse A). Original, plain loop.
Light silver gray with pale iridescent blue around the rims. Light handling marks. Quite rare: Adams’
research revealed only nine examples of this size.
Ex Numismatic Circular (Spink & Son, Ltd., April, 1965).
78 George III Indian Peace Medal. 1814. Smallest size. Adams 14.2. Very Fine to Extremely
Fine. Silver. 37.7mm. 529.1 gns. Obverse leaves point to TI. Obverse signed T.WYON.JUN.S. Laure-
ate, mantled bust right of George III (Obverse 2); grand royal Arms (Reverse A). Original, plain loop.
Dark gunmetal blue gray on both sides. Very minor handling marks. Obverse seems dished. Although
bearing the designer’s signature, the obverse in other respects seems identical to the die on the preced-
ing. It seems there are further mysteries to be discovered in this size. Quite rare: Adams’ research re-
vealed only nine examples of this size.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on July 2, 1971.
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE III
79 George III Indian Peace Medal. 1814. Smallest size. Adams 14.2. Extremely Fine. Lead.
37.7mm. 326.3 gns. Obverse leaves point to TI. Obverse signed T.WYON.JUN.S. Laureate, mantled
bust right of George III (Obverse 2); grand royal Arms (Reverse A). No loop. Dark. Slightly bent. Be-
lieved to be a trial piece for these dies and as such, just the second known. Very rare: Adams’ research
revealed only two of these struck in lead.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on July 2, 1971.
80 George III Indian Peace Medal. 1814. Middle size. Adams 13.1; census specimen 15. Choice
Extremely Fine. Silver, gilt. 60.0mm. 1,164.8 gns. Obverse signed T.WYON JUN S. Laureate, man-
tled bust right of George III (Obverse 1); grand royal Arms (Reverse A). Original, plain loop. Pale silver
gray with gilding remaining most everywhere. Rims and edge nicked in places, a few more obvious
than others. Initials ‘DM’ lightly scratched in the upper right obverse field. Quite rare: Adams’ re-
search revealed only 17 examples of this size. A single die pair has been identified on these.
Ex Hans M.F. Schulman prior to 1953.
— 42 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE III
81 George III Indian Peace Medal. 1814. Middle size. Adams 13.1; probably census specimen
16. Choice Very Fine. Silver. 60.0mm. 1,133.2 gns. Obverse signed T.WYON JUN S. Laureate,
mantled bust right of George III (Obverse 1); grand royal Arms (Reverse A). Original, plain loop. Fairly
even pale silver gray color. Rims nicked in many places, fields show handling marks, this was clearly an
awarded medal. Quite rare as noted.
Ex Central Coin Show (James Charlton, Toronto) sale of October 8, 1966, lot 283.
82 George III Indian Peace Medal. 1814. Middle size. Adams 13.1; probably census specimen
17. Choice Very Fine. Silver. 60.0mm. 1,140.2 gns. Obverse signed T.WYON JUN S. Laureate,
mantled bust right of George III (Obverse 1); grand royal Arms (Reverse A). No loop. Single, fine hole.
Light silver gray color. Rims nicked in many places, fields show some obvious handling marks, this also
appears to have been an awarded medal. Quite rare as noted.
Ex Robert Brule (Montreal) on June 14, 1961, said ex C.A. Laframboise.
— 43 —
GEORGE III
f k
\\
/ J§ m A
83 George III Indian Peace Medal. 1814. Largest size. Adams 12.1; census specimen 35. About
Uncirculated. Silver. 76.6mm. 1,929.0 gns. Obverse signed T.WYON.JUN:S:. Laureate, mantled
bust right of George III (Obverse 1); grand royal Arms (Reverse A). Original, plain loop; secondary, fine
hole at base of obverse. Rich, medium silver gray with gold, blue and rose iridescence. Ornamental
ribbed edge added, affixed to the edge by four rivets (one missing), the work skilled and obviously con-
temporary. A single obverse and reverse die pair seems to have been responsible for all these largest
1814 medals (Adams 12.2 seems anomalous).
Ex John G. Murdoch Collection (1904, lot 909, plated), Virgil M. Brand, F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
84 George III Indian Peace Medal. 1814. Largest size. Adams 12.1; census specimen 34. Ex-
tremely Fine. Silver. 75.6mm. 1,895.7 gns. Obverse signed T.WYON.JUNtS:. Laureate, mantled
bust right of George III (Obverse 1); grand royal Arms (Reverse A). Original, plain loop. Rich, deep sil-
ver gray with blue and rose iridescence. Minor handling marks, a few small rim bruises.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
— 44 -
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE III
85 George III Indian Peace Medal. 1814. Largest size. Adams 12.1; census specimen 33. About
Extremely Fine. Silver. 75.5mm. 1,871.1 gns. Obverse signed T.WYON.JUN:S:. Laureate, mantled
bust right of George III (Obverse 1); grand royal Arms (Reverse A). No loop, single hole. Deep silver
gray with gold and blue iridescence. Minor handling marks, a few small rim bruises. A nice looking
medal even without the suspender.
Ex A. H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on October 12, 1973.
86 George III Indian Peace Medal. 1814. Largest size. Adams 12.1; uncertain census specimen
number. Choice Very Fine. Silver. 75.5mm. 1,904.2 gns. Obverse signed T.WYON.JUN:S:. Laure-
ate, mantled bust right of George III (Obverse 1); grand royal Arms (Reverse A). Atypical, plain loop
probably a replacement. Medium silver gray with some faint gold iridescence. Some scratches, other
handling marks, light rim bruises.
Possibly ex Frank Katen, before 1953.
— 45 —
OEcn
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE III
Lot No. 87
87 George III Indian Peace Medal. 1814. Largest size. Adams 12.1; census specimen 36. Very
Good/Fine. Silver. 75.4mm. 1,820.5 gns. Obverse signed T.WYON.JUN:S:. Laureate, mantled bust
right of George III (Obverse 1); grand royal Arms (Reverse A). No loop. Single, atypically large hole.
Deep silver gray color. Well worn. The “twisted wire hanger” described under Adams 12.1, 36 was a
piece of modern steel wire and was discarded.
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
88 George III Indian Peace Medal. 1814. Largest size. Adams 12.1; census specimen 37. About
Uncirculated. Prooflike. Copper, bronzed. 75.5mm. 2,805.8 gns. Thick. Obverse signed
T.WYON.JUN:S:. Laureate, mantled bust right of George III (Obverse 1); grand royal Arms (Reverse
A). No loop. No hole. Rich mahogany and brown, lighter at the base of the reverse. Old stain in the
right obverse field. Serious reverse edge bruise at 8:45. Edge stamped ‘238’. Clearly a restrike with lit-
tle to do with Indians but nevertheless quite rare compared to the silver medals from the same dies.
Adams lists several of these but most seem to be in institutional holdings.
Ex A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. on July 2, 1971.
— 46 —
THE JOHN J. FORD. Jr. COLLECTION: British Medals
GEORGE III
89 George III Indian Peace Medal. 1814. Largest size. Adams 12.1; census specimen 39. About
Uncirculated. Prooflike. Copper, bronzed. 75.6mm. 2,828.9 gns. Thick. Obverse signed
T.WYON.JUN:S:. Laureate, mantled bust right of George III (Obverse 1); grand royal Arms (Reverse
A). No loop. No hole. Rich mahogany and brown. Rough behind head and on lower right of reverse, evi-
dence of verdigris there. Unnumbered edge. As noted, quite rare compared to the silver medals from
the same dies.
Ex Robert Brule (Montreal) on June 14, 1961, said ex C.A. Laframboise.
Seminole Chief Osceola, wearing three Gorgets
— 47 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
NATIVE AMERICAN TRADE AND OTHER SILVER
90 Silver Gorget for the Native American Market. Undated. Diamond shaped stippling in center,
star-burst inside. Hallmarked JB (John Bayly, ca. 1761). Approx. 13x7cm. Corners cut. Very Fine,
cleaned, museum number and provenance label on back. This medal was bought from N. Flayderman
& Co., Inc. on July 1, 1972. It was then accompanied by a notarized statement from one David Currie
certifying that he had lawfully obtained the gorget from the Museum of the American Indian (Heye
Foundation) and that it had been collected by an M.R. Harrington in 1909 in Miami, Indiana and that
it was accessioned by Dr. Heye, for whom Harrington worked at the time. The correspondence con-
cerning this transaction, which includes material of some historical interest, will be donated to the
ANS in due course. A copy is included with the lot.
Provenance as noted.
— 48 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
91 Coin silver soup spoon ca. 1830’s by John J. Low & Co. of Boston. Hallmarked for the firm as
Ensko p. 131. Initial ‘K’ engraved on back of handle. Apparently collected by Mr. Ford who believed
that noted coin dealer Lyman Low was a member of this silversmithing family.
Provenance unrecorded.
— 49 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
BRITISH AND IRISH MILITARY, ENGLISH CIVIL GORGETS
92 Fourteenth Light Dragoons. Silver gorget. Crowned cypher above ethnic and hallmarks, en-
graved shoulders, leather backing. London date stamps for 1801-02. Approximately 11x10cm. The regi-
ment was renamed as on the gorget in 1776. Some of its troops saw service against France in the Low
Countries 1792-4 and others in Haiti 1794-7 where losses due to disease were severe. It has been en-
folded into the 14th/20th King’s Hussars.
Ex Sotheby's sale of July 23, 1973, lot 52.
— 50 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
Lot No. 93
(Reduced)
93 First Tyrone Regiment. Silver gorget. Crowned harp and supporters, motto below, engraved
shoulders. No hallmarks. ‘JS’ engraved inside (for James Stewart, colonel of the regiment who formed
it July, 1780, or James Strong, its officer commanding 1806-12). Approximately 13xllcm. The regi-
ment’s uniform was scarlet faced with deep blue; silver swordbelt plate. Same designs and “JS” en-
graving, undoubtedly part of the same ensemble. Hallmarked crowned harp, Hibernia (1795-6), ‘DP’
possibly for Daniel Popkins (active 1765-1821). Approximately 7x5 cm. 2 pieces.
Ex Wallis & Wallis Sale 159, lots 1096A & B.
— 51 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
94 The Ancient and Honourable Lumber Troop. Gilt brass gorget. Arms and supporters of this so-
cial club, ethnic flanking. Engraved inside ‘Lieut. Johnson’. No hallmarks. Approximately 11x9cm. The
club was a patriotic meeting place in Fleet Street whose members gave themselves military titles.
Ex Wallis & Wallis Sale 159, lot 1094.
— 52 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
95 The Honorable East India Company. Gilt silver gorget. Arms and supporters of the company
and engraved shoulders in silver, hallmarked inside shoulder with London date letter for 1796. En-
graved inside ‘JC’ above ‘Brigade Major’. Approximately 11x9cm.
Ex Sotheby’s Sale of July 1 7, 1972, lot 1 76.
— 53 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
96 The Honorable East India Company. Gilt silver gorget. Arms and supporters of the company,
hallmarked on shoulder with London date letter for 1805. With blue silk tabs and neck tie Small edge
split. Approximately 11x9cm. With old paper label “Silver gilt gorget. Hallmarked 1805 [unreadable]
G.III. Worn by a commissioned officer late. ..Hon. E. India Co. Very rare.
Provenance unrecorded.
— 54 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
97 The Honorable East India Company. Gilt brass gorget. Arms and supporters of the company in
silver affixed to the front. No hallmarks. With leather backing. Small edge split. Approximately
11x9cm.
Ex Wallis & Wallis Sale 167, lot 1077.
— 55 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
98 The Honorable East India Company. Gilt brass gorget. Arms and supporters of the company.
No hall marks. Approximately 11x9cm.
Ex Sotheby’s sale of July 1 7, 1972, lot 191.
— 56 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
99 Brass pocket compass and sundial. Unmarked. Ca. 18th. c. Approximately 4.5cm. Compass rose
under glass, collapsable gnomon, screw thread lid. The sort of gadget an officer might carry with him
into the unmapped American forests.
Provenance unrecorded.
'J.SP R.R EXP i. SURVEYS - 47™ A 40™ PARALLELS GENERAL REPORT - PLATE XVI
Fori Union, and Distribution of Goods to the Assinniboines
— 57 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
THE WASHINGTON
The Washington Seasons Medals were ordered by James
McHenry, Secretary of War, by letter sent October, 1796 to
Rufus King, then American Ambassador to the Court of St.
James in Great Britain. The medals were designed at King’s
request by Colonel John Trumbull in 1797. Trumbull’s
sketches for the three obverses and single common reverse
were engraved into dies by Conrad Kuchler. The medals were
struck by Boulton & Watt in Birmingham during April-Octo-
ber, 1798. McHenry’s originating order of 1796 called for 500
silver and 200 copper medals in all. Recent study by David Vice
published in FORMAT 48 based upon the Matthew Boulton
papers has established the mintage figures for the three types.
Six sets in silver without loops were struck in 1799 at Rufus
King’s order and while not so stated, may have been proofs.
Although the medals have as their reverse type the inscrip-
tion SECOND PRESIDENCY OF GEO. WASHINGTON MD-
CCXCVI they were not distributed until after Washington
had both left office and died. Some of these medals were dis-
tributed by Lewis and Clark on their trek across the conti-
nent in 1805. There appear to be no portraits known of
Indians shown wearing one of the Seasons medals and Fr.
Prucha suggests the types were not well accepted by Native
Americans who, he feels, preferred medals with portraits of
kings or presidents on them. The original 1796 order called
for the medals to be pieced for suspension but as fulfilled the
medals were made with a small loop at the top.
Silver Seasons Medals are very rare. Most of them did not
survive, either because they were later melted at the Phila-
delphia Mint to make other medals or were lost following dis-
tribution. The number actually given to Native Americans is
unknown. Almost all known silver medals show signs of hav-
ing been worn and are usually in lower grades with a myriad
of marks showing varying degrees of distress. Copper medals
may also have been distributed but it is likely they would
have been resisted more strenuously than the anacephalic
SEASONS MEDALS
silver ones. Copper medals in general are found in higher
grades than the silver ones.
An interesting letter regarding the Seasons Medals, dated
May 29, 1800 and written by Samuel McHenry to Samuel
Dexter, sheds further light of these medals:
“It is especially and specifically recommended to my suc-
cessor, to make himself as soon as possible minutely ac-
quainted with the actual state of the Indian
Superintendencies, and also with the system which has been
adopted, and is now in execution for the amelioration of the
condition of the Indians, and keeping them at peace with and
attached to the United States. I cannot but flatter myself
that the efficiency of the system initiated by the late Presi-
dent will not be impaired under the direction of my succes-
sor, having had its success much at heart and leaving under
its influence which must increase with time the great body of
Indians in all parts of the United States, well affected to the
interests of our Country-friendly to each other-indisposed to
war and progressing in civilization.
To aid this system, a series of medals in silver and bronze
have been procured from England with devices elegantly exe-
cuted emblematic of the progressive states of man from the
savage to the earliest arts of civilized life. These were in-
tended to be distributed by the Superintendents as encour-
agements to those of the Indians who should make the
greatest advances in raising cattle, the cultivation of their
lands and the domestic manufacturers of spinning and weav-
ing. They are deposited in four boxes in the Bank of the
United States, except a few which are in a desk in the Secre-
tary’s room at the War Office-the key of which will be left en-
closed for my successor. I have taken to myself two of each of
the three sets forming the series wishing to preserve these
evidences of the benevolent intentions of the administration
of General Washington toward the Indians.”
A NICE SILVER SHEPHERD MEDAL
100 Washington Seasons Medal. The Shepherd. Silver. Obverse signed C.H.K. Fc. Julian IP. 51,
Prucha 37, Belden 12. Choice Very Fine. 48.3mm. 723.1 gns. 2.9 - 3.0mm thick. Looped as issued.
Deep silver gray in color with some light russet around the rims. Fairly minor handling and rim marks,
none disfiguring. A remarkably clean example for a silver medal. This type is known in silver and
bronzed copper. The obverse design was described by the artist as “ 1. Alludes to the raising of cattle-a
cow licking a young calf-sheep and a lamb sucking-a man in the character of a shepherd watching
them-a small house and trees in the distance.” Mintages: 150 silver with loop, 17 silver without loop,
60 bronzed copper with loop, 7 bronzed copper without loop.
Ex Wayte Raymond. Estate.
— 58 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
WASHINGTON SEASONS MEDALS
101 Washington Seasons Medal. The Shepherd. Copper, bronzed. Obverse signed C.H.K. Fc.
J.IP.51, Pr.37, B.12. About Uncirculated. 48.3mm. 733.9 gns. 3.3 - 3.5mm thick. Looped as issued.
Rich coppery brown in color with subtle hints of faded original color. Minor handling marks only. An-
other example remarkably free from the serious damage these Seasons medals always seem to have
suffered. Actually rarer than the silver medals. Mintages: 150 silver without loop, 17 silver without
loop, 60 bronzed copper with loop, 7 bronzed copper without loop.
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
102 Washington Seasons Medal. The Shepherd. Copper, bronzed. Obverse signed C.H.K. Fc.
J.IP.51, Pr.37, B.12. About Uncirculated. 48.2mm. 744.9 gns. 3.4 - 3.5mm thick. Not looped as is-
sued. Nice, deep coppery brown on smooth and somewhat reflective surfaces. Like the last, free from
disfiguring marks, just ordinary signs of handling and none damaging. Without a loop the medal is the
rarest of the four styles of this variety. Mintages: 150 silver without loop, 17 silver without loop, 60
bronzed copper with loop, 7 bronzed copper without loop.
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
— 59 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
WASHINGTON SEASONS MEDALS
103 Washington Seasons Medal. The Sower. Silver. Obverse signed C.H.K. Fc. Julian IP. 53,
Prucha 37, Belden 13. Very Fine. 48.2mm. 721.3 gns. 2.8 - 3.0mm thick. Looped as issued. Pale to
medium silver gray in color with hints of light gold around the rims. Minor handling and rim marks,
indecipherable inscription scratched into the reverse in the spaces bewteen the lines of the struck in-
scription seemingly dated 1846. This type is also known in silver and bronzed copper. The obverse de-
sign was described by the artist as “No. 2. A man sowing wheat-in the distance another person
ploughing-a small house and enclosures-characterize the first steps in agriculture.” Mintages: 150 sil-
ver with loop, 17 silver without loop, 60 bronzed copper with loop, 7 bronzed copper without loop.
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
r SECOND
104 Washington Seasons Medal. The Sower. Copper, bronzed. Obverse signed C.H.K. Fc.
J.IP.53, Pr.37, B.13. Choice Extremely Fine. 48.2mm. 723.9 gns. 3.3 - 3.4mm thick. Not looped as
issued. A really nice example. Both sides are a rich, deep brown, the obverse slightly darker than the
back. The only signs of handling this has seen are more than minor and are essentially trivial. The sur-
faces are lightly reflective. Without a loop this is actually rarer than a specimen in silver. Mintages:
150 silver with loop, 17 silver without loop, 60 bronzed copper with loop, 7 bronzed copper without
loop.
Ex Estes Gale Hawkes on November 5, 1975.
— 60 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
WASHINGTON SEASONS MEDALS
J^XOtCafc C NiMU,,
105 Washington Seasons Medal. The Spinner. Silver. Obverse signed C.H.K. Fc. J.IP.52, Pr.,
B.14. About Uncirculated. Prooflike. 48.2mm. 706.3 gns. 2.8 - 2.9mm thick. Not looped as issued.
An outstanding example. Both sides are toned in rich, medium silver gray with faint iridescence. The
fields are brightly reflective. This is one of the nicest we can remember seeing and was clearly carefully
preserved from the day it was first struck for presentation purposes. This type is also known in silver
and bronzed copper. The obverse design was described by the artist as “No. 3. The inside of a house-a
woman spinning-another weaving-an infant in the cradle rocked by another child somewhat larger-is
meant to convey an idea of domestic tranquility and employment.” Mintages: 149 silver with loop, 17
silver without loop, 58 bronzed copper with loop, 9 bronzed copper without loop.
Ex Emidio Bastianelli (West End Coins) on May 2, 1985.
106 Washington Seasons Medal. The Spinner. Copper, bronzed. Obverse signed C.H.K. Fc.
J.IP.52, Pr., B.14. Choice Extremely Fine. 48.2mm. 744.9 gns. 3.4 - 3.6mm thick. Not looped as is-
sued. Pale brown obverse, deeper steel brown on the back. Somewhat reflective surfaces. Minor han-
dling marks. Curious ‘M’ lightly stamped into edge after striking. Without a loop this is the rarest
flavor of the type. Mintages: 149 silver with loop, 17 silver without loop, 58 bronzed copper with loop, 9
bronzed copper without loop.
Ex George Justus (B. Max Mehl) on April 30, 1964.
— 61
SILVER INDIAN PEACE MEDALS STRUCK BY
THE UNITED STATES MINT
The Most Important Collection Ever Assembled
There has never been a collection of United
States Indian Peace Medals struck in silver as
large, comprehensive, significant, or ground-
breaking as this one. The hundred and more
medals that will cross the auction block in this
and the second sale represent a very significant
percentage of the total number of such medals
that has ever been available for purchase by pri-
vate and institutional collectors. In some cases,
such as Harrison’s round medals, the number
present here is nearly half of the total number
believed struck at the time they were ordered
from the Mint! When the final lot is hammered
the wider collecting fraternity will have at its
long term disposal such a large number of these
medals that the field will have forever been
changed. No longer will silver Indian Peace
Medals be esoteric items rarely encountered.
Rather, they will take their place, rightful it will
soon seem, alongside medals from the other
U.S. series as collectibles that are approachable
by a vastly increased segment of the collecting
marketplace.
The dispersal of Mr. Ford’s collection of
United States Indian Peace medals will occupy
two separate auction sales. The first, catalogued
herein, will feature as complete a set of Presi-
dents from Jefferson to Harrison (Mr. Ford’s
Washington peace medals were sold with his
Washingtonia collection in May, 2004) in all
sizes as is possible to put together. There are
only six presidential sizes missing in silver here,
a most remarkable statement about the collec-
tion and one that marks it as unprecedented.
Missing are the Hayes, Cleveland, and Harrison
ovals which may not actually exist or if they do,
are not in collectors’ hands; the large size Mon-
roe with the first reverse, which may also not
exist and may never have been struck in the
first place; and the middle size Taylor which is
either unique or exceptionally rare.
The Ponca delegation photographed in November 1877 in Washington DC.
Nine of the delegates are wearing medals.
National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution (Neg. #4244-0
— 62 —
If nothing else stamped this sale as one to no-
tice it would be the presence of a complete set of
Jefferson shell medals. The second sale, sched-
uled for May, 2007, will include duplicates in
the U.S. series in silver and the entire collection
of bronzed copper medals. Another set of Jeffer-
son shells will be featured in this second auc-
Ition along with other very rare silver issues,
any one of which would mark the sale in which
it was offered as important. Collectors should
plan their bidding strategies accordingly.
I The standard references for collectors of In-
; dian Peace Medals are Bauman Belden’s Indian
• Peace Medals Issued in the United States
1(1927), Francis Prucha, S.J.’s Indian Peace
I Medals in American History (1971), and Robert
.Julian’s Medals of the United States Mint 1792-
\1892 (1977). All are still essential despite their
i age. Belden’s includes some anecdotal informa-
!tion unpublished elsewhere and features useful
illustrations of medals. Fr. Prucha’s is the best
of the three and the cataloguer’s debt to the
good cleric’s diligent research is evident
i throughout these pages. Julian’s assigns IP
I numbers to each medal he believed was struck
l and these are used by collectors as finding lists.
Ii The cataloguer has borrowed Julian’s number-
fing system for the structure of the descriptions
I to follow. In most cases this has proven to be a
(workable arrangement; the infrequent in-
I stances in which it did not will be self-evident.
The descriptions to follow will be somewhat
ii complex, perhaps including more technical nu-
Lmismatic information than collectors are used
to seeing. The cataloguer is very aware of the
|. importance of this collection, as it offers a series
of data points for the study of Indian Peace
[•Medals that will never again be assembled in
lone place, and does not wish the opportunity to
pass by without taking advantage of it.
Like the others surrounding it, this section of
Jthe catalogue is ordered chronologically, with
i the medals of each president listed in succes-
sion. Where Mr. Ford lacked an example of a
known issue the parameters expected for such a
one have been listed regardless. Conversely, Ju-
lian numbers that have turned out to have been
assigned in error have also been listed but with
the appropriate corrective commentary. The
cataloguer expects that the Ford collection cata-
logue will become the standard reference for
U.S. Indian Peace Medals and has made the list-
ings as comprehensive as possible.
Since these medals served a purpose, some
details of the shameful history of European-
American expansion across the continent of
North America have been included within each
presidential grouping. Read seriatim they tell a
story that is all too familiar to moderns. The de-
tails have been based upon two principal
sources, each of which has also occasionally
been quoted: Atlas of the North American In-
dian by Carl Waldman (New York: Facts on
File, 1985) and Handbook of North American
Indians. Vol. 4. History of Indian-White Rela-
tions edited by Wilcomb E. Washburn (Washing-
ton, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1988).
Mr. Ford’s love for this series was rivalled
only by his concern for the medals illustrative
of early American history. He acquired as many
Indian medals in silver as he could, at times
owning all those known of a particular presi-
dent (Harrison and Arthur immediately come to
mind). He preferred silver to bronzed copper
because he preferred originals to restrikes,
those made for later collectors. Although there
is no way of provenancing these medals to par-
ticular recipients, silver medals generally were
made for distribution to elite Native Peoples
and not for sale to collectors. Mr. Ford felt that
any silver medal he held was a key to the past
of his white ancestors, whose gift he believed
sealed both the allegiance and the subjugation
of the red man for whom it was intended.
The peaceful occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in
Washington, DC. November 1972.
Bettmann/Corbis
— 63 —
Mr. Ford always hoped to issue a book length
study of Indian Peace Medals based upon the
contents of his collection. He believed that
there were questions about these medals that
had not yet been asked, let alone answered.
Some of those we cannot pursue, his knowledge
of the field surpassed that of anyone else then
or now and what he was unable to pass on to
the present cataloguer he took to his grave.
Some questions he posed can be answered by
those who come after him, however, and several
of these have been considered in the pages to
follow. The difficult issue of the chronology of
use of the first and second reverses can be
traced in the descriptions and once understood
will probably leave the advanced collector with
as many questions as he first had, only they will
now be different ones.
Indian Peace Medals were struck in silver for
presentation to native Americans. Almost all
silver Indian Peace Medals are originals, struck
intentionally for eventual presentation to a Na-
tive American recipient. There are a handful of
exceptions to this rule, however. Grant’s medal
was restruck in silver because there was a de-
mand for it from collectors and the Mint was
motivated to oblige them. Later, sometime in
the early years of the 20th c., the Mint made a
few restrikes of silver medals in the usual for-
mat and about 40 years later a further series in
matte silver. Few of either kind are known and
luckily for collectors, they are easily identifi-
able. The matte pieces trace their provenance
through Bowers & Merena’s 1987 sale of the
Dreyfuss Collection to Ed Rice of Philadelphia,
for whom they were made, presumably. As these
are matte they are easily distinguished from
others. The non-matte restrikes all trace their
provenance to a 1991 World Exonumia auction
sale and were plated in the catalogue and their
full diagnostics were described.
By definition any example struck in copper is
not an original. Rather, these are “abschlags,”
off-metal strikes made for collectors. Beginning
in the early 1840’s with the middle size Jeffer-
son medal, the Mint made strikes of Indian
Peace Medals in copper for sale to collectors.
With the ever growing popularity of collecting
numismatic objects, and especially “national”
medals, more and more pressure was placed on
the Mint to sell Indian Peace Medals. Accord-
ingly, the Mint struck specimens in copper and
advertised them for sale in its monthly circular
beginning in the 1850’s. The Mint experi-
mented with bronzing the surfaces of the
medals struck in copper, sometimes before
striking, sometimes after. The bronzing pow-
ders used, made up according to the several dif-
ferent formulae popular at different times in
the 19th c., gave the finished medals different
colors, ranging from a red mahogany to an or-
ange tan and a deep brown.
It used to be thought that different colors
were popular at different times and that these
could be used to approximately date Indian
Peace Medals struck in copper. Today, old In-
dian Peace Medals are available in copper with
several different surface finishes, all of which
are attractive and appeal to different collecting
tastes.
Like the copper medals, none of the Indian
Peace Medals series was ever struck in alu-
minum for official presentation to a Native
American by any arm of the federal govern-
ment. Rather, the extremely rare aluminum IP
medals were made before January, 1919 for sale
to omnivorous collector Virgil Brand. Stephen
K. Nagy handled the transaction. The medals
were made at the Philadelphia Mint using offi-
cial obverse and reverse 76mm size IP dies.
They included a mix of first and second re-
verses, probably not to create additional “deli-
cacies” but more likely because their makers
didn’t recognize the differences as significant.
To date, the cataloguer is aware of the following
seven struck in aluminum: Madison (IP5) first
reverse; John Q. Adams (IP. 11) first reverse;
Van Buren (IP17) second reverse; Tyler (IR21)
second reverse; Taylor (IP27) second reverse;
Fillmore (IP30); Pierce (IP32), small date; and
Johnson (IP40). Unlike the copper restrikes,
the market for the aluminum ones was not the
collecting fraternity at large but was limited to
just one individual.
Yellow bronze is the metal currently used by
the Mint to make restrikes of Indian Peace
Medals. These may be obtained directly from
the Mint on application and payment of a small
fee. The color is pale yellow, the surfaces have a
matte appearance, and the edges show stria-
tions from the grinding wheels that finish the
struck medals. These restrikes have been made
since the early days of the 20th c. and some
have aged nicely. Since more than a century of
production has gone by the corpus of modern
Mint restrike Indian Peace Medals sorely needs
its historian.
— 64 —
WHERE ARE ALL THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS?
By George Fuld
i The following article by our good friend George Fuld, appeared in the August 13, 2001 issue of
h Coin World. In it he offers his perspective in U. S. Indian Peace Medals.
Original Indian peace medals in silver are among the
H most elusive items in American numismatics. When one
| considers the large quantities of these medals issued
I between 1789 (under George Washington) until 1892
|| (under Benjamin Harrison), it is hard to believe they are
■ so uniformly dear.
Records exist on mintages of most of these medals....
|r The total number of medals issued for Indian pre-
| sentation from the Washington Season medals
|| of 1797 to Benjamin Harrison in 1890 is
I 3,449 medals. This is a net total, trying to
M take into account a number of remelted
ft issues used for subsequent strikings.
I It is most likely that this is a mini-
L mum number of medals issued,
I since records might not have
I recorded all that were struck.
I The number of each medal
ft issued is from official records as
ft recorded carefully by Francis
i. Paul Prucha in his monumental
1 study of these medals (Indian
■ Peace Medals in American
L History, State Historical
I Society of Wisconsin, 1971).
It should be noted that no
I contemporary medals were
I issued for President John Adams,
I although dies were cut about 1845
I to fill in the series. In addition a
I round 76-millimeter Washington
ft medal, with a date of 1789, of stan-
V dard design, was struck by the Mint
p about 1900. Neither of these was ever
ft intended for Indian presentation.
A little background on Indian
B peace medals will bring them
I; into focus for the interested
|i numismatist. Peace medals
|f were awarded first by the
|i French, Spanish and the British
I* governments as a token of the Great White Father’s
|) “peaceable” intent toward various Indian chieftains with
I) the purpose of making the Indians allies of the issuers.
: “It was a badge of honor and a sign, to both sides, that
he who displayed the medal was a friend to the American
j nation. Today, it is an enduring symbol of one of [the]
i greatest Chief Executives and his forward looking hope
' to live in perpetual peace with Indians, to cultivate an
li affectionate attachment from them, be every thing just
1 & liberal which we can do for them within the bounds of
ji reason, and by giving them effective protection against
the wrongs from our own people” (Thomas Jefferson to
William Henry Harrison, Feb. 27, 1803).
They were hung around the neck and dearly prized by
the Indians. The British issued medals in copper about
dollar size under George I and George II, but starting
about 1760 large round silver medals were issued under
the reign of George III. These medals are faithfully
examined in the recent work by numismatist John
Adams (The Indian Peace Medals of George III
of His Majesty’s Sometime Allies, G.F. Kolbe
Publications, 1999). When the United
States federal government started to
make peace with Indian tribes in the
late 1780s, large oval medals were
awarded. These medals, issued in
1789, 1792, 1793 and 1795, were
not only large and oval in shape,
they were hand engraved by
leading silversmiths, especially
in Philadelphia. Joseph
Richardson is the silversmith
most closely associated with
these oval medals. A most
famous painting, showing a
1792 oval Peace medal, is that
of Red Jacket.
Whenever a medal was present-
ed to a prominent chief, he was
asked to surrender any foreign
medals, especially the British
ones. Most British medals in the
Colonies were traded in, except the
ones presented to Canadian Indians.
When the medals were issued starting
with Washington through Benjamin
Harrison the portrait of the current presi-
dent was depicted thereon. The
lone exception to this portrai-
ture was John Adams where the
Season medals ordered under
Washington and delivered in
1798 were used during his presidency. Most of the
medals presented by Meriwether Lewis and William
Clarke in 1804 to 1806 in their explorations were the
Season medals, but some were silver dollars pierced for
suspension. Three of the magnificent Jefferson shell
medals, dated 1804, were carried by the Lewis and
Clarke expeditions. Zebulon Pike carried some medals
with him when exploring the Colorado region, but
Jefferson medals were not yet available.
Just what accounts for the relative rarity of these
Indians peace medals today? The most obvious is that
l/led'jfac/te/
Red Jacket, spokesman of the
Six Nations of the Iroquois
— 65 —
many of these were buried with the Indian chief honored
at his death. It seams unlikely that medals were
destroyed by individuals as most people were aware of
the great historical value. Even the large silver medals
had a silver value of about $5, which would make melt-
ing them not highly profitable.
Of the almost 3,500 medals struck, perhaps only 500
or so are accounted for. Many reside in museums
throughout the country. A full census of American peace
medals known has not been attempted. Adams paved the
way for such a study in his pursuit of the history of the
George III medals.
A study of contemporary portraits of Indians shown
wearing the medals illustrates the wide distribution of
the medals. The famed McKenney-Hall portrait gallery
of some 120 or so Indian portraits was enshrined at the
Department of Indian Affairs. Starting in 1821, the com-
missioner of Indian Affairs, Col. Thomas McKenney,
commissioned Charles Bird King to paint portraits of all
Indian chieftains visiting Washington. These full color
portraits were hung in McKenney’s office in
Washington. Some portraits were painted by J.O. Lewis
at the Found du Lac Council of 1826 and at the Buttes
des Mortes Council in 1827.
McKenney had King copy these portraits in his style
to match the others on display. With the exception of the
J.O. Lewis copies, the rest were painted from life by King
from 1821 to 1837 showing 41 of the Indians wearing
Indian peace medals.... An attempt was made to deter-
mine the actual medal and size thereof from the portrait
THE McKENNEY- HALL
PORTRAIT GALLERY OF
JMERICJH
IMDMHS
BY JAMES D. HORAN
CROWN PUBLISHERS, INC. • NEW YORK
7 if ''ts/cz/ W.ji/ Sgyyyj/ Soyyi/ W/ji/ \
shown. King did not make the medal representation
highly detailed, but bust right or left can narrow the
medal identification issue. Also, the date of each portrait
narrows down the possible medals shown. At least two
Indian chiefs are shown wearing three medals each.
In addition, Prucha reproduced a number of contem-
porary oils and photographs of Indians wearing medals.
These include Payouska, an Osage chief in a sketch from
1804 wearing a large medal. An oil portrait of Souligny,
a Menominee chief, shows a Madison medal quite clear-
ly. The head chief of the Grand Pawnees, Horse Chief, by
George Catlin in 1834, displays a Jackson medal. In
another portrait by Catlin, George Lowrey, a Cherokee
chief, wears a 76-milimeter Monroe medal.
An 1898 photograph of the Oto chief, George
Arkeketah, portrays a 64-milimeter Fillmore medal and
a 76-millimeter Pierce medal. A 1901 photograph of the
Chippewa Indian, Sound of Eating, shows him wearing a
76-millimeter Fillmore medal. An 1895 photograph of
James Arkeketah shows him wearing a 64-millimeter
Lincoln medal and a 76-millimeter Pierce medal. A stu-
dio photograph of Pawnee Scouts circa 1890 shows four
of them wearing 64-millimeter Lincoln peace medals.
The Oglala Sioux, He Dog, wore a Grant medal when
photographed in 1920. In December 1888, the Brule
Sioux chief, Big Mane, was sent a silver Cleveland medal
and 10 bronze medals for distribution to deserving
tribesmen. Apparently he kept one bronze medal for
himself, since the photograph taken in 1913 shows Big
Mane with both a silver and a bronze medal.
A photograph in 1898 shows the Southern Cheyenne,
Wolf Robe, wearing a Benjamin Harrison medal awarded
in 1890 for aiding the Cherokee Commission in 1890.
Silver Harrison medals were awarded to 17 other
Indians who aided the Cherokee Commission. Finally
the Brule Sioux Indian, Yellow Hair, is shown wearing
an unofficial Washington medal struck in base metal
with a three-quarters left portrait. Many of these unoffi-
cial medals were widely distributed through trading
posts in the late 19th century.
From the 41 Indians wearing medals in the
McKenney-Hall paintings, plus the 13 Indians portrayed
in Prucha and the 18 awarded Benjamin Harrison
medals, there is ample evidence that these medals were
not only widely awarded but highly valued by the
Indians themselves. Clearly some further explanation
for the scarcity of the Indian peace medals would be open
to further study.
It should be noted that almost all the American Indian
peace medals starting with Jefferson were restruck by
the Mint starting about 1840 in dark mahogany bronze.
Except for the several medals ... where a few in bronze
were intended for Indian presentation, these medals
were made strictly for collectors. As dies disintegrated,
new dies were prepared giving rise to many variations.
As late as 1970, most of the 76-millimeter presidential
peace medals were available from the Mint, struck in 20"'
century golden bronze. Although certainly collectible,
these restrikes are only medallic reminders of the origi-
nal intent of the wonderful Indian peace series.
— 66 —
| THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
SILVER INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE
UNITED STATES JOHN ADAMS 1797 TO BENJAMIN HARRISON 1889
JOHN ADAMS
1797 - 1801
Born October 30, 1735. Elected December 1796.
Inaugurated March 4, 1797. Died July 4, 1826.
INDLAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1797 - 1801
1795: At Fort Greenville, Ohio (August 3) 1,100 Indian chiefs and warriors agree to
a treaty ceding Indian lands amounting to all of present-day Ohio and most of Indiana
in return for $20,000 in goods and an annuity of $9,500.
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE ADAMS PRESIDENCY
No Indian Peace Medals were struck specifically for
I Adams’ presidency. Medal needs were, presumably, filled
| from pre-existing supplies of Washington Seasons Medals
r which arrived in Washington in 1799. At some time between
» 1814 and 1839 Moritz Furst made an Adams portrait die
I which Franklin Peale saw in 1841. Mint Director James
j Snowden found the die again in 1861 and married it to a Jef-
) ferson reverse and made a few soft metal strikes, but he
( claimed the die had never been hardened. In 1878, the die
reappeared in the sale of the Mickley Collection and was
quickly bought by the Mint. The Adams Indian Peace Medal
uses the Furst Adams portrait obverse (Neuzil IO-2) and the
John Reich PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP reverse type of
1809-49 with pointed A in AND (the First Reverse). Copper
> medals were struck in two periods, before 1877 and after
1878 but no better precision than that is possible. President
Grant had a copper one in 1877 which he obtained from a
Native American owner and the Mint struck 50 of them in
December, 1878.
It is not known when the unique silver 51mm medal ex
Victor Morin’s collection was struck, but given both its
provenance and condition it is likely to have been early in the
first period. The silver 51 mm medal in Dreyfuss:6003 (ex Ed
Rice Collection) and the one in Bridge: 1051 were both 20th c.
restrikes using the Type II reverse. The aluminum Adams
medals were made in the 20th c. for collectors like Virgil
Brand. The two records Carlson published in 1986 almost
certainly refer to the Bridge and Rice restrikes. Julian IP.l,
Prucha 59, Belden 44. 51mm Known in silver (apparently
unique ex Victor Morin Estate in 1993), silver restrike (two
known), copper (common, with both Type I and II reverses)
and aluminum (one known).
War Dance
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
THOMAS JEFFERSON
1801 - 1809
Born April 13, 1743. Elected February 17, 1800.
Inaugurated March 4, 1801. Died July 4, 1826.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1801 - 1809
1802-1809: General William Henry Harrison and other commissioners force ces-
sions of Indian lands in the Old Northwest. By 1809 the U.S. has obtained most of
southern Indiana and large parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio and Michigan.
1802: Federal law prohibits the sale of liquor to Indians. Congress appropriates
funds to “civilize and educate” the Indians. Georgia agrees to cede its western land
claims to the federal government and in return the U.S. agrees to “extinguish the In-
dian Title to all other Lands within the State of Georgia.”
1803: Louisiana Purchase incorporates the Indian population on the 828,000
square miles between the Mississippi and the Rockies, the territory that forms Mis-
souri, Nebraska, Iowa, Arkansas, North and South Dakota, most of Louisiana,
Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming, and parts of Colorado and Oklahoma.
1804-1806: Lewis and Clark Expedition, headed by Merriwether Lewis, Jefferson’s
private secretary, and William Clark, an Army officer, explores the Northwest from
the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean looking for the best route west and to estab-
lish U.S. claims to the Oregon Territory.
1805: Sacagawea, a Shoshone Indian woman who becomes the wife of the Lewis
and Clark expedition’s official interpreter, Toussaint Charbonneau, joins the expedi-
tion in South Dakota. She accompanies the expedition to the Pacific and part way
back to Washington. Her presence in the party marks it as pacific and not belligerent.
1806: Office of Superintendent of Indian Trade is established in the War Depart-
ment under the Secretary of War.
1808: American Fur Company is chartered by John Jacob Astor to compete with
Canadian firms in the western fur trade.
1809: William Henry Harrison, governor of the Indiana Territory, signs (Septem-
ber) the Treaty of Fort Wayne. By lying to and liquoring up a group of non-represen-
tative chiefs, Harrison obtains a claim to 3,000,000 acres of land in return for $7,000
and a small annuity.
1809-1811: Tecumseh’s Rebellion. Chief of the Shawnee Tecumseh had earlier re-
fused to participate in the Treaty of Greenville. In July, 1809 he starts putting to-
gether an alliance of native peoples from the Old Northwest, the South and the
eastern Mississippi River Valley.
Thomas Jefferson
— 69 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE JEFFERSON PRESIDENCY
Shortly after Jefferson’s inauguration and at the request of
the War Department, Superintendent of Military Stores John
Ii’vine contacted Mint Director Elias Boudinot and engraver
Robert Scot in April, 1801 and requested that they begin
preparing dies for silver medals to be distributed to Native
Americans. A series of delays occupied the summer months
of 1801 but by December of that year John Reich (under sub-
contract from Robert Scot) had effected the dies for the three
sizes of medals planned. Letter punches were made by coiner
Adam Eckfeldt. Philadelphia silversmith Joseph Richardson,
Jr., whose family firm had earlier made many of the large
oval Washington medals, was entrusted with the task of
preparing the silver plates and striking them with Scot’s
dies. The Jefferson medals were composed of an obverse and
reverse struck on round plates, these inlet into an encircling
band afterwards closed at the top and mounted with a ring
for suspension. The space between the shells was sometimes
filled to provide support for the thin silver faces.
The round Jefferson medals were extremely popular, in
part because of their large size, in part because their only
American competition were the Washington Seasons Medals
which bore no portrait, and in part because no medals had
been made for John Adams’ earlier presidency and none were
ready early enough during Monroe’s. As a result, fairly large
numbers of Jefferson medals were actually distributed, not
only during his own presidency, but even as late as 1812 dur-
ing Monroe’s administration. Records published by Fr.
Prucha show hundreds of medals in all three sizes sent by
the War Department in the period from 1805-12 including 93
of the extremely rare middle size. In 1803, Lewis and Clarke
packed 32 Jefferson medals of all three sizes for their explor-
ing expedition, all of which had to compete, so to speak, with
the 76 mm George III silver medals being distributed to Na-
tive Americans by agents of the British crown. After demand
for the medals had ceased the dies were deposited with the
Purveyor of Military Stores’ office in the arsenal in Philadel-
phia. They remained there until 1841 when Mint Director
Robert Patterson located and removed them.
Restrikes were made almost immediately, including copper
medals in the largest size and silver medals in the middle
size, but these are easily identifiable as such. Carlson’s notes
of nine auction records for the largest silver, five for the mid-
dle size, and 11 for the smallest are out of date, but their ra-
tios closely reflect their comparative rarity. The American
Numismatic Society Collection, for example, includes two
large, one medium, and two small Jefferson shell medals.
Happily for collectors, neither Rice nor Bridge had restrike
silver shell Jefferson medals, so perhaps the Mint did not
make any.
i/'os/ic/r/urco
Peskelechaco, Pawnee Chief,
Part of the Delegation that visited Washington in 1821
— 70 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
107 Thomas Jefferson Indian Peace Medal, 1801. Silver. First Size. J.IP.2, Pr.38, B.15. Choice
Very Fine. 101.3mm. Rims 6.4 - 6.7mm thick. 2,356.5 gns. Very dark on the front and back, lighter on
the rims and edge, the surfaces with a thin oxidation product “skin” from long burial. With original
hanger and loop. The surfaces are very clean but with some grafitti in obverse and reverse fields. There
are no accurate rarity estimates for any of the three sizes of the Jefferson medal. Numbers originally
made were higher than commonly believed and large size Jeffersom medals were still being made and
distributed to Native Americans long after Jefferson’s presidency had ended. Numbers surviving are
unknown but probably represent less than half. The largest size Jefferson, an imposing piece of work
in almost any grade, is the “commonest” of the three, but is still very rare. This medal is also known
in copper shells (ANS) and solid silver (referred to by Julian but not seen by the cataloguer, clearly a
restrike if it exists) and pewter (ANS) but of later date. These dies are still in the Mint.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
— 71
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
3wV
108 Thomas Jefferson Indian Peace Medal, 1801. Silver. Middle Size. Original dies. J.IP.3,
Pr.39, B.16. Extremely Fine. 76.2mm. Rims 5.3 - 5.6mm thick. 766.2 gns. Lovely, pale silver gray on
the obverse, lighter gray on the back, with some iridescent blue and light gold toning in places. A re-
markable example. With original hanger and loop. Light obverse scratches, field dent in the upper
left field on this side, some fairly serious scratches on Jefferson’s cheek. Good reverse sharpness but
fields tooled on that side. Extremely rare: the rarest of the three sizes. There may be as few as five of
these in existence. The ANS specimen lacks its hanger and is crushed. There have been only two origi-
nal specimens sold at public auction in the past 20 years, including the Dreyfuss piece (ex Connecticut
Historical Society) that later appeared in Presidential’s sale of December, 1988. The W.W.C. Wilson
sale (1925) had a VF and there was one in the Bushnell sale. The Major General George Colbert speci-
men is unaccounted for. The Smithsonian lacked an example of this medal.
There are a handful of middle size Jefferson’s known in solid copper struck from the original dies.
The reverse of the middle size medal broke and was replaced in 1866, the obverse is 1886. The obverse
of the original die shows the period midway between A and D (on the later restrikes the period is closer
to D). The original reverse die shows a die break from the Indian’s thumb running up to the rim
through the pipe bowl (the later restrike die is unbroken). This medal is also known in solid silver (re-
ported by Belden and ANS) and solid copper (ANS) but of later date. The medal is also known as a
matte silver restrike. There are two or three solid silver 76 mm Jefferson medals known, but all are re-
strikes and are easily identifiable as such (one appeared in PCAC’s sale of December 1993). The solid
silver medal in the ANS Collection is said to have been awarded to “Chief White Hair” of the Great
Osage in 1808.
Ex F. C. C. Boyd Estate.
— 72 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
A PAIR OF SMALL JEFFERSON SHELL MEDALS
An Unprecedented Offering
A
h
Lot No. 109
109 Thomas Jefferson Indian Peace Medal, 1801. Silver. Third Size. J.IP.4, Pr.39, B.17. Choice
Extremely Fine. 53.7mm. Rims 3.6 - 3.8mm thick. 571.5 gns. Nice, even pale silver gray color on both
sides with considerable prooflike lustre on the reverse. A simply outstanding specimen. With origi-
nal hanger and loop. Somewhat softly struck on the bases of the letters at left in the obverse inscrip-
tion; bases of FRIEN weak on the reverse. Small planchet depression in the right obverse field.
Extremely rare: the second rarest of the three sizes in silver shells. The Winterthur collection has a
polished Very Fine example and the piece in Bowers & Merena’s sale of March, 2001 was also graded
Very Fine. There was a very nice specimen, missing its loop, in Sotheby’s (New York) sale of December,
1993 that Tony Terranova bought for $15,000. The medal is also known in solid pewter (reported by
Belden) but of uncertain date.
Ex J. Douglas Ferguson at the CNA Convention, Montreal, on August 12. 1965.
110 Thomas Jefferson Indian Peace Medal, 1801. Silver. Third Size. J.IP.4, Pr.39, B.17. Very
Fine to Choice Very Fine. 54.5mm. Rims 4.4 - 4.6mm thick. 408.9 gns. Deep silver gray in color
with some light purple and rose iridescence on both sides. A piece with compelling eye appeal.
Hanger skillfully removed long ago leaving almost no trace behind on the edge. Light scratches below
the clasped hands on the reverse. Fields on both sides lightly tooled. Sharply struck for one of this size.
Extremely rare: as noted, the second rarest of the three sizes in silver shells.
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
— 73 —
JAMES MADISON
1809-1817
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
JAMES MADISON
1809 - 1817
Born March 16, 1751. Elected December 7, 1808.
Inaugurated March 4,1809. Re-elected December 2, 1812.
Died June 28, 1836.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1809 - 1817
1811: Governor Harrison attacks and destroys Prophet-
stown and in the following Battle of Tippecanoe River in north
central Indiana Harrison’s troops destroy Tecumseh’s Indian
confederacy. Tecumseh and many of his followers cross into
Canada and join British forces later in the War of 1812.
1812-14: The War of 1812 begins June 18. The war is
largely the result of the influence of the War Hawks in Con-
gress led by Henry Clay and other westerners who want to
acquire more land by conquering Canada. In the northwest
Tecumseh joins the British and helps lead a variety of tribes
into battle. His death and the British and Indian defeat at
the Battle of the Thames in October 1813 marks the end of
effective Indian resistance between the Ohio and the Missis-
sippi rivers. In the southwest Creek peoples attack across
Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama. Andrew Jackson of Ten-
nessee invades Creek country in the winter of 1813-1814 and
at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in March 1814 destroys their
resistance. In August 1814 the belligerent as well as neutral
Creeks lose more than half their land in the Treaty of Fort
Jackson.
1815: Lewis Cass, governor of Michigan Territory, per-
suades President Madison to authorize construction of a se-
ries of forts along the northern frontier to control British
political and mercantile influence from Canada. Fort Mack-
inac on the straits between Lakes Huron and Michigan is re-
garrisoned and in 1816 regular army troops establish Fort
Howard at Green Bay and re-fortify Fort Dearborn at the
site of Chicago. A military expedition up the Mississippi from
Saint Louis builds Fort Armstrong on Rock Island and Fort
Crawford at Prairie du Chien.
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE MADISON PRESIDENCY
Following Madison’s inauguration in 1809 the Secretary of
War ordered Purveyor of Military Supplies Tench Coxe to
provide silver medals suitable for distribution to Native
Americans that would bear the likeness of the new president.
The new medals were to be struck solid, to better compete
with English ones. John Reich was commissioned to engrave
the dies. For various reasons Coxe failed in his commission
and left office with the task unfinished. John Mason, head of
the Office of Indian Trade, inherited the task and thought to
ask a friend, Philadelphia merchant and American Philo-
sophical Society member John Vaughan, to assist him.
Vaughan might have seemed a suitable choice but his insis-
tence on hiring an Italian artist to do a new portrait of Presi-
dent Madison and subsequent changes in the design led to
further delays. It was not until December, 1814, after his sec-
ond term had started, that the first Madison Indian Peace
medal was finally struck. A large number of silver medals
were ultimately made at the Mint.
Figures published by Fr. Prucha suggest that more than
113 of the largest size, 100 of the middle, and 103 of the
smallest were delivered to John Mason in the first six months
of 1815, with silver left over for a further run of the smallest
medals. To distinguish the largest from the other designs,
Madison is shown wearing a fur cloak on the 76 mm medal
but not on the 62 or 51mm sizes. This distinction was contin-
ued on the medals until Tyler’s administration, when Direc-
tor Patterson’s cost saving measures reduced the presidential
portraits on the three sizes to machine made clones of each
other. Reich redesigned the reverse of the Indian Peace
medal at John Vaughan’s request, removing the cuff with the
federal eagle from the Indian’s wrist, adding a pipe bowl to
the tomahawk, and changing the clay pipe to a proper
calumet.
Quatawapea, Chief of the Shawnee, wearing a
Madison Peace Medal.
— 75 —
fr
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
111 James Madison Indian Peace Medal, 1809. Silver. First Size. First Reverse. J.IP.5, Pr.40,
B.20. Extremely Fine. Obverse signed on rim “R” for John Reich. 75.8mm. Rims 4.1 - 4.2mm thick.
2,623.1 gns. Witness line at 6:00 (from obverse). Nice, rich silver gray on both sides, the color nearly
uniform, with some blue and rose iridescence. Neatly holed at the top; no loop. Minor rim nicks, other
minor handling marks, none serious. This size is known only in silver originals and matte silver, cop-
per and aluminum restrikes. The large format Madison medal is quite rare with perhaps as few as 15
specimens surviving. There was no 76 mm size Madison in either the Kessler-Spangenberger or Gar-
rett sales, for example. Both the Schenkel and Dreyfuss collections included a 76mm Madison, how-
ever.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
112 James Madison Indian Peace Medal, 1809. Silver. First Size. First Reverse. J.IP.5, Pr.40,
B.20. Fine to Very Fine. Obverse not signed. 75.8mm. Rims 4.1 - 4.2mm thick. 2,605.2 gns. No obvi-
ous witness line. Lighter silver gray than the first but also with pale blue and rose iridescence. Neatly
holed at the top; no loop. Minor rim marks, surfaces with a myriad of tiny nicks, the medal clearly an
awarded one. Rare as noted above, with perhaps about 15 known.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
— 76 —
THE JOHN J. FORD. Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
THREE MIDDLE SIZE MADISON MEDALS
The Lowest Mintage Size in Silver
113 James Madison Indian Peace Medal, 1809. Silver. Middle Size. First Reverse. J.IP.6, Pr.40,
B.21. Very Fine. 62.8mm. Rims 3.2 - 3.5mm thick. 1,584.4 gns. Witness line at 6:00 (from obverse).
Deep silver gray in color with some blue iridescence. Neatly holed at the top; no loop. Noticeable ob-
verse rim bruise, less obvious ones on the back, other minor handling marks. Obverse rim beginning to
fail in a couple of places, earlier state than the next. This size is known only in silver originals and cop-
per restrikes. While the commonest size in copper, the middle size has the lowest mintage of the three
in silver with only a handful of auction references including Garrett: 1919 (the piece graded About Very
Fine that Stack’s offered in the Maine Antique Digest in August, 1997).
Ex Nelson A. Lowe on July 3, 1964.
114 James Madison Indian Peace Medal, 1809. Silver. Middle Size. First Reverse. J.IP.6, Pr.40,
B.21. Fine. 62.9mm. Rims 3.3 - 3.5mm thick. 1,585.3 gns. Witness line at 12:00 (from obverse). Light
silver gray with some very faint blue iridescence. Large hole at the top; no loop. Usual signs of han-
dling on what was clearly an awarded medal. Obverse rim crumbling around onto table.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
115 James Madison Indian Peace Medal, 1809. Silver. Middle Size. First Reverse. J.IP.6, Pr.40,
B.21. Fine. 62.8mm. Rims 3.1 - 3.4mm thick. 1,552.5 gns. No apparent witness line. Light silver, once
cleaned, some deeper gray and blue around the rim. Large hole at the top; replacement loop. Usual
signs of handling, noticeable reverse rim dent, another clearly awarded medal. Obverse rim crumbling
around onto table about as seen on the preceding medal.
Ex Estes G. Hawkes on September 18, 1977.
116 James Madison Indian Peace Medal, 1809. Silver. Third Size. First Reverse. J.IP.7, Pr.40,
B.22. Very Fine. 51.2mm. Rims 3.0 - 3.3mm thick. 888.6 gns. Witness line at 12:00 (from obverse).
Nice, deep silver gray color most everywhere, toning line across front. Neatly holed at the top; no loop.
Usual signs of handling, fairly serious reverse rim impairments. This size is known in silver originals
and copper restrikes. Very rare. The cataloguer has seen only four auction appearances of a small for-
mat Madison silver medal in recent years, including two by Presidential (1990 and 1992) and one each
by Bowers (1992) and Stack’s (1995). This size was missing from the Schenkel and Dreyfuss collections
and is probably the rarest of the presidency.
Ex Lt. John M. Wolfe, Jr. on May 27, 1963.
— 78 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
JAMES MONROE
1817 - 1825
Born April 28, 1758. Elected December 4, 1816.
Inaugurated March 4, 1817. Died July 4, 1831.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1817 - 1825
1817-18: First Seminole War (1817-1818) begins (November 20) as settlers attack
Florida Indians who retaliate by raiding Georgia homesteads. December 27, 1817 An-
drew Jackson takes command and pursues Indians into Florida, captures St. Marks on
April 7 and Pensacola on May 24, 1818. Spain cedes East Florida to the U.S. the follow-
ing year.
1819: Congress authorizes an annual sum of $10,000 for a “civilization fund” to pro-
mote “civilization” of Indians by employing “capable persons of good moral character,
to instruct them in the mode of agriculture suited to their situation; and for teaching
their children in reading, writing, and arithmetic.” Secretary of War John C. Calhoun
invites Christian missionary societies to participate.
1819-1822: Secretary of War John C. Calhoun authorizes expeditions from Detroit
up the Mississippi to the mouth of the Minnesota River, where Fort Snelling is built in
1819, and up the Missouri to the Yellowstone River (which gets as far as present day
Omaha where Fort Atkinson is established). In 1822 erection of Fort Brady at Sault
Sainte Marie assures control of that end of the waterway. “Indian agents like Nicholas
Boilvin and Joseph M. Street at Prairie du Chien, Lawrence Taliaferro at St. Peter’s,
Henry R. School craft at Sault Sainte Marie, and William Clark, superintendent at
Saint Louis, were largely successful in convincing the Indians to turn in their British
flags and medals and to accept in their place the symbols of American jurisdiction.”
1819-1824: Kickapoo Indians resist their removal from the Illinois country.
1821: Treaty with the Seminole forces them to move to the center of Florida, a vir-
tually uninhabitable area, within 20 years in return for a subsidy and U.S. “protec-
tion.”
1822: Congress abolishes the Office of Indian Trade.
1824: Cherokee becomes the first native American language to be translated into a
written form, using a syllabary of 85 characters. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is orga-
nized as part of the War Department. In his annual message to Congress (December),
President Monroe states the only solution to the Indian “problem” is their removal
west.
1825: Despite objections by their people, Creek leaders sign a treaty (February 12)
giving up their land in Georgia and promising to migrate west the following year.
Makataimeshekiakiah or Black Hawk, Chief of the Sauk & Fox,
wearing a Monroe Indian Peace Medal
— 80 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE MONROE PRESIDENCY
Following Monroe’s inauguration as president Superinten-
dent of Indian Trade Thomas McKenney requested the Sec-
retary of War to have medals made bearing the new
president’s portrait suitable for distribution to Native Ameri-
cans. His request was not acted upon, however. The follow-
ing year, McKenney wrote again and again received no
favorable response. McKenney’s third request for new
medals, in a letter drafted in May, 1818, received a response
and Secretary of War John Calhoun asked for details of the
project. McKenney replied saying he thought 100 medals
each of the three customary sizes should be sufficient for his
needs and Calhoun authorized him to proceed with the un-
dertaking. McKenney chose to work with John Vaughan, de-
spite the latter’s persnickety attention to irrelevant detail,
and after some discussion about which artist to employ to
take the president’s portrait settled upon Moritz Furst of
Philadelphia.
Furst worked quickly and had die trials ready for McKen-
ney in January, 1819. The first medals, 20 of the 62 mm size,
were delivered to McKenney in April, 1820, but despite the
authorization for 300 medals the total struck was 32 of the
76mm size and 100 each of the 62mm and 51mm sizes. Ap-
parently demand for the Monroe medal was not as strong as
McKenney had anticipated, for by the end of the Monroe
presidency most of the 76mm (23 of 32 struck), 62mm (88 of
100 struck), and 51mm (91 of 100 struck) had not been dis-
tributed. They remained with the Office of Indian Trade
until 1822 when it was disestablished. The medals on hand
were turned over the the office of the Secretary of War and it
is likely that they were all melted. Julian IP.8, Prucha 41,
Belden 23. 76mm Known in silver (originals and matte sil-
ver restrikes), copper (restrikes), and aluminum (restrikes).
The largest size Monroe is the rarest of the three or if not,
it is tied with the 51mm size for that honor. Carlson found
two auction records but the present cataloguer cannot con-
firm these. The medal may not exist with the Type I reverse
and that is why Mr. Ford did not include one in his collec-
tion. At least one is known in aluminum, ex a purchase from
Stephen Nagy by Virgil Brand in January, 1919. Included in
lot 6003 of the David W. Dreyfuss Collection (Bowers & Mer-
ena, 1987) were 13 round matte silver medals with official
presidential portraits on their obverses and the clasped
hands reverse of the official Indian Peace medals. Presidents
included Washington through Buchanan. Elsewhere in the
same sale were matte oval silver Indian Peace Medals of
Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, and Cleveland and one of the large
round Harrisons. These were variously described as 20th c.
restrikes or later U.S. Mint restrikes. All 17 of these medals
appeared to have been struck in the 1940’s (Mr. Ford
thought 1946) for Ed Rice, a well-known collector-dealer resi-
dent in Philadelphia who seems to have had connections with
the Mint.
Rice’s holdings included these Indian Peace Medals and
other presidential medals as a single set. All had been struck
at the Mint using official Indian Peace Medal dies. All had
been given a sandblast surface finish that made them dis-
tinctly matte in appearance, perhaps a security measure on
the Mint’s part.
Foke Luste Hajo, Seminole Chief,
wearing a Monroe Indian Peace Medal
— 81 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
117 James Monroe Indian Peace Medal, 1817. Silver. Middle Size. First Reverse. J.IP.9, Pr.41,
B.24. Choice About Uncirculated. Obverse signed FURST. F. 62.8mm. Rims 3.2 - 3.5mm thick.
1,581.0 gns. No apparent witness line. A remarkable example in outstanding condition. Rich, satiny
pale silver gray on the surfaces with bright reflectivity in the fields and a very sharp strike. Minor
impairments only including some light scratches on the back near the hole. Small hole near the top, off
to the right from the guide; no loop. Almost no signs of handling. This size is known in silver originals
and copper restrikes. This is the usually-found size of Monroe IP medals.
Garrett’s (lot 1920) was a very nice EF that went, ultimately, through Stack’s 1988 Anniversary Sale
to the firm’s fixed price list offering in the August, 1997 issue of the Maine Antique Digest. Schenkel’s
(lot 4023) was also an EF as was the New York Public Library specimen. Dreyfuss’ (lot 5124) was
graded Choice Fine. LaRiviere’s graded nearly About Uncirculated and was prooflike. Bridge:1054 was
authenticated as an original silver by ANAAB. Carlson’s notes of 18 auction records for this size in sil-
ver accurately show this to be the commonest size despite the suggestion in the Mint records that only
12 of the 100 struck were not melted. It is likely that some Monroe medals were distributed in the
years following his presidency.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
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118 James Monroe Indian Peace Medal, 1817. Silver. Middle Size. First Reverse. J.IP.9, Pr.41,
B.24. Very Fine. Obverse signed FURST. F. 62.8mm. Rims 2.8 - 3.2mm thick. 1,454.0 gns. No appar-
ent witness line. Lighter pale silver gray with some faint residual reflectivity. Name removed from
right obverse field. Neatly holed near the top, off to the right from the guide; no loop. Minor signs of
handling.
Ex Art Kagin (via Harry Forman) on March 10, 1962.
— 82 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
A Winnebago orator wearing
Monroe, Madison and Unidentified (Reverse) Indian Peace Medals
VERY RARE SMALL MONROE MEDAL
Possibly the Rarest of All Sizes in Silver
119 James Monroe Indian Peace Medal, 1817. Silver. Third Size. First Reverse. J.IP.10, Pr.41,
B.25. Very Good to Fine. Obverse signed FURST. F. 50.9mm. Rims 2.8 - 2.9mm thick. 847.9 gns. No
apparent witness line. Light silver, once cleaned. Holed very near the top; no loop. Edge and rim bruise
at left on obverse. This size is known in silver originals and copper restrikes. Although Carlson found
nine auction records for a 51mm silver Monroe, the present cataloguer has not been so lucky and can-
not point to one meaningful example. It is entirely likely that this is the rarest size for Monroe. The
Carlson-Hartzog price suggestions for the 76mm and 51mm medals are so close to each other as to sug-
gest their practical rarities are identical. Like the middle size Monroe, Mint records suggest the vast
majority of this size was melted with only nine medals distributed during Monroe’s presidency. That
figure may be misleading, however, but given the paucity of auction records for this size it may not be
all that far off the mark.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
— 83 —
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THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS
1825 - 1829
Born July 11, 1767. Elected December 1, 1824.
Inaugurated March 4, 1825. Died February 23, 1848.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1825-1829
1827: Winnebago Uprising (June) as a result of criminal acts by drunken white
keelboatmen at a village above Prairie du Chien. Creek peoples cede (November 15)
all remaining territory in Georgia to the U.S. The Cherokee nation adopts a constitu-
tion modeled after the U.S. Constitution; the action is rejected by the Georgia legisla-
ture. The U.S. government decides to remove all native Americans from the Illinois
over the next two years. Resistance by Black Hawk and his band fails.
1828: First printing press arrives at the headquarters of the Cherokee Council in
Echota, Georgia (February 21). The first native American newspaper is printed soon
thereafter.
1828-1834: “Secretary of War Peter B. Porter, sensing the lack of a system of prin-
ciples and rules for the administration of Indian concerns, writes in 1828 to the two
men he considers best qualified to deal with Indian affairs, Governor Cass and Super-
intendent Clark. Cass and Clark respond enthusiastically and draw up a long report
which outlines a comprehensive system for regulating affairs and establishing a well-
organized Indian department.
In view of the removal of the Indians from the East, Cass proposes seven principles
to govern relations with the Indians: (1) a solemn declaration that the land assigned
to the Indians in the West would be theirs forever and that White settlement would
never encroach upon it; (2) a determination to exclude all liquor from the Indians’ ter-
ritories; (3) the employment of adequate military force in the vicinity of the Indians to
prevent hostility between tribes; (4) encouragement of the Indians to adopt western
European notions of property ownership; (5) assistance to all who needed it for open-
ing farms and acquiring domestic animals and agricultural implements; (6) leaving
untouched as much as possible the institutions and customs of the Indians; and (7)
employment of persons to instruct the Indians.
These proposals, together with a report of commissioners sent west in 1832 to ex-
amine lands for Indian settlement, form the basis for a new trade and intercourse act
of June 30, 1834 which defines the Indian country as ‘all that part of the United
States west of the Mississippi, and not within the states of Missouri and Louisiana, or
the territory of Arkansas, and, also, that part of the United States east of the Missis-
sippi river, and not within any state to which the Indian title has not been extin-
guished.’ A companion bill provides for the organization of the agents and
superintendents of the Indian service.”
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE ADAMS PRESIDENCY
Shortly after Adams’ inauguration in March, 1824 Thomas
McKenney, now head of the newly founded Bureau of Indian
Affairs, requested permission of the Secretary of War to have
medals made bearing the portrait of the new president for
presentation to Native Americans. McKenney noted that ex-
pansion west was increasing the need for such medals, partic-
ularly in the Oregon territory where British medals were still
in evidence and in the southwest where Spanish ones would
need replacing with American medals. With the Secretary’s
approval following soon after, McKenney engaged Moritz
Furst to make the new obverse portrait dies for the three
medal sizes. Furst’s effort was approved for the middle size
medal but his portraits of the president on the largest and
smallest were criticized as making Adams look fat and his
nose too pointy and long.
After some prolonged discussion Furst was prevailed upon to
try to “fix” his work but the final product was not well liked,
the president going so far as to call Furst a “wretched Medal-
list and a half-witted man.” After some further delay caused
by the failure of the largest die to harden without breaking,
the Mint struck and delivered ten 76mm medals on December
10, 1825. Early the following year McKenney requested 100 of
each of the three sizes but the Mint did not fulfill the order. By
January, 1828 some 95 large medals were delivered but only
136 of the middle and smallest sizes, combined.
— 85
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
120 John Quincy Adams Indian Peace Medal, 1825. Silver. First Size. First Reverse. J.IP.ll,
Pr.42, B.26. Extremely Fine. Obverse signed F. 75.5mm. Rims 3.4 - 3.7mm thick. 2,359.1 gns. No
apparent witness line. Pale silver gray with a few touches of deeper gray in the fields. Remarkable,
brightly reflective semi-prooflike fields. Holed near the top; well made loop but probably a replacement.
Only trivial marks. JOHN strong, QUINCY typically soft. This size is known in silver originals and
matte silver, copper and aluminum restrikes. This is the commonest of the three John Quincy Adams
sizes and there are many auction records of silver examples to point to.
Carlson noted nine, for example. Schenkel:4024 was a nicked VF and Dreyfuss:5127 was graded
about Fine. There was a nice VF in Sotheby’s (New York) sale of December, 2000. Presidential’s sale of
December, 1993 had one counterstamped ‘SK’ on the obverse. Others may be found in Bowers’ sales of
January, 1995 and March, 2003 and Stack’s 2001 Americana Sale. Hanks & Associates offered a VF at
$4,500 in the October 9, 1995 issue of Coin World. The Massachusetts Historical Society is said to have
a large J. Q. Adams. The one in the Oklahoma Historical Society is said to have been presented to Levi
Colbert. Father Prucha tells us that the largest number of John Quincy Adams medals struck were or-
dered by the Indian superintendent of Michigan Territory during Lewis Cass’ governorship.
Cass was an ardent promoter of expansion of the territory through negotiations for land with Indian
tribes. The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 meant that Detroit would grow into one of the Great
Lakes’ chief ports. In 1829, Cass and William Clark, Superintendent of Indian Affairs at Saint Louis,
drew up regulations regarding the presentation of medals to the Indians. These included the require-
ment that “The largest medals will be given to the principal village chiefs, those of the second size will
be given to the principal war chiefs, and those of the third size to the less distinguished chiefs and war-
riors.”
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
— 86 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
121 John Quincy Adams Indian Peace Medal, 1825. Silver. First Size. First Reverse. J.IP.ll,
Pr.42, B.26. Fine to Very Fine. Obverse signed F. 75.4mm. Rims 3.6 - 3.8mm thick. 2,424.4 gns. No
apparent witness line. Medium silver gray, the color essentially uniform on both sides. Holed near the
top; no loop. Light handling marks, “QA” scratched at base of reverse, the medal clearly an awarded
piece. Slightly bent. JOHN soft, QUINCY soft at the end, ADAMS soft. The large size Adams medal is
usually soft at the lower left on the obverse, just like 1794 silver dollars.
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
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122 John Quincy Adams Indian Peace Medal, 1825. Silver. First Size. First Reverse. J.IP.ll,
Pr.42, B.26. Extremely Fine. Obverse signed F. 75.7mm. Rims 3.5 - 3.7mm thick. 2,411.6 gns. No
apparent witness line. Medium silver gray with some light iridescence. Holed near the top; no loop.
Surfaces extensively tooled in the fields and on the edge. JOHN and ADAMS soft.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
87 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
123 John Quincy Adams Indian Peace Medal, 1825. Silver. Middle Size. First Reverse. J.IP.12,
Pr.42, B.27. Fine to Very Fine. Obverse signed F. 62.3mm. Rims 2.8 - 3.1mm thick. 1,456.0 gns. No
apparent witness line. Nice, even and deep silver gray color, a decent looking example. Holed near the
top; no loop. Minor handling marks, two reverse rim bruises (one heavy). This size is known in silver
originals and copper restrikes. It is the second rarest after the small medal (Carlson’s ratios of sur-
vivors once again accurately reflect the true rarity situation among the three J.Q. Adams sizes). The
cataloguer has records of four examples of the 62mm medal including the pedigreed piece in Presiden-
tial’s July, 1993 auction. The most recently seen auction was of a Fine example sold by Sotheby’s (New
York) in December, 1999. LaRiviere’s scratched EF was ex Sotheby Parke-Bernet’s sale of October,
1975.
Ex Victor F. Rose on November 13, 1968.
124 John Quincy Adams Indian Peace Medal, 1825. Silver. Third Size. First Reverse. J.IP.13,
Pr.42, B.28. Choice Extremely Fine. Obverse signed F. 51.1mm. Rims 3.6 - 3.7mm thick. 1,099.7
gns. No witness line. Prooflike fields. Light silver gray in color. Specific gravity 10.46. This is one of the
(probably) early 20th c. silver restrikes from the original dies, the reverse in its quite rusted state
(most obvious above the crossed pipe and tomahawk). The edge is rough in places as if the flan had
been cast rather than rolled. Mr. Ford bought this piece “on spec” but a restrike is a restrike. Known
in silver originals and restrikes (as here) and copper restrikes, this is the rarest of the three J.Q.
Adams medals. Carlson noted three auction records, but the cataloguer can locate no meaningful mod-
ern one of an original medal in silver.
Ex Dr. Bridge Collection (Rich Hartzog, September 9, 1991, lot 1055).
— 88 —
ANDREW JACKSON
1829-1837
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THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
ANDREW JACKSON
1829 - 1837
Born March 15, 1767. Elected December 3, 1828.
Inaugurated March 4, 1829. Died June 8, 1845.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1829 - 1837
1829- 1849: “The United States Army had an encounter with the Comanches as
early as 1829, during Major Bennett Riley’s reconnaissance of the Santa Fe Trail. Co-
manche warriors, along with some Kiowa allies, attacked Riley’s wagon train and
killed one soldier. Such attacks were common throughout the period, as more and
more Anglo-Americans ventured into Comanche territory. The principal function of
the Texas Rangers-from their formation during the Texas Revolution from Mexican
rule in 1835, through the Republic of Texas period, and after American annexation in
1845 until 1875-was to contain the Comanches. In most early encounters, the Indians
had the upper hand, as in 1837, when the Texas Rangers found themselves suddenly
attacked by the very warriors they were pursuing and lost half their outfit.
The next year, in the Council House Affair, the Rangers managed to kill 35 of their
nemeses, but not in the field. The Rangers seized as hostages a number of chiefs who
had come to San Antonio to parley, in order to force the release of whites held by the
Indians. After the resulting fight and Comanche loss of life, warriors swept down from
their homeland north of the Red River along the Guadalupe Valley, all the way to the
Gulf of Mexico, under Chief Buffalo Hump. Linnville was attacked and two dozen set-
tlers who didn’t reach their boats in time were killed; Victoria was burned. The
Rangers ambushed the Indians on their return northward at Plum Creek, near Lock-
hart, and managed to kill some more warriors, but their breaking the truce at the
Council House had proven much more costly to whites than Indians.
The tide began to turn somewhat after 1840, when John Coffee Hays joined the
Texas Rangers. He not only improved discipline and morale, but also armed his men
with Walker Colt six-shooters instead of single-shot guns. During the Battle of Ban-
dera Pass in 1841, the Indians came up against the ‘new Rangers’ and were repelled.
But the contest between the Indians and whites was still basically a standoff, although
more white settlers were arriving all the time. In 1848, Texas officials defined a
boundary between the two groups, with Texas Rangers ordered to apprehend tres-
passers from both sides, but to no effect. Both groups violated the line. Army regulars
moved in to help prevent Indian raids and, from 1849 to 1852, erected a chain of seven
forts, from the Red River to the Rio Grande.”
1830: By the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek the Choctaw nation surrenders its
land in Mississippi in exchange for land west of Arkansas.
1830- 39: The Indian Removal Act is passed by Congress in 1830 (May 28). Indians
living east of the Mississippi River are to move to the Oklahoma Territory and land
west of the river in return for a money payment. The Cherokee nation sues the gov-
ernment to quash the act and wins its case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1832.
President Jackson ignores the Court and over the next seven years the “Five Civilized
Tribes” of the southeast (Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole) are
forcibly relocated. The Cherokee walk their Trail of Tears 1838-1839.
1831- 42: Sauk, Chicaksaw, Choctaw, and Creek nations cede their lands east of the
Mississippi and under varying condition relocate west. The Sauk return to their old
lands and in 1832 the Black Hawk War begins, ending in a massacre by whites at Bad
Axe (Wisconsin). White impatience at the pace of relocation leads to Creek resistance
in the Creek War (1836). Seminole resistance to land cessions leads to war in Florida
with federal troops (Second Seminole War 1835-42) and the near extinction of the
Seminole people. War leader Osceola is taken prisoner in 1837 while negotiating
under a flag of truce and dies in prison the following year.
-90 —
THE JOHN J. FORD. Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE JACKSON PRESIDENCY
Immediately following Andrew Jackson’s inauguration in
March, 1829 Thomas McKenney, who continued as head of
the Bureau of Indian Affairs, wrote to the newly appointed
Secretary of War requesting permission to engage Moritz
Furst to design and engrave the new portrait die for the In-
dian medal. McKenney asked for 100 of each of the three
sizes, as he had for the Adams and Monroe medals previ-
ously. Secretary Eaton did not reply to McKenney’s letter,
nor to the one that followed it in December, 1829. When
McKenney was removed as chief of bureau in the fall of 1830
still nothing had been done about new medals for Indians. A
new head of the bureau undertook to pursue the matter of
the medals and enlisted Furst and the Mint to undertake the
tasks of engraving the dies and striking the medals. By June,
1831 the dies had been finished and sent to the Mint but it
was not until February of the following year that the first
medals intended for distribution were shipped by the Mint.
When the original order was finally finished, in the middle
of March, 1832, three years had passed since McKenney first
urged haste in the business. Mintage figures show 87 of the
largest size medals struck, 58 of the second size, and 71 of
the smallest plus another 26 medals whose sizes were not
specified in the Mint records. All Jackson medals are quite
rare and while more of the 76mm size were struck than the
others, all three sizes seem about equally rare today.
125 Andrew Jackson Indian Peace Medal, 1829. Silver. First Size. First Reverse. J.IP.14, Pr.43,
B.29. About Uncirculated. Obverse signed FURST F. 75.8mm. Rims 4.5 - 4.6mm thick. 2,880.4 gns.
An outstanding example and a somewhat anomalous one given its remarkable weight and thickness.
Die states as the other two offered here. Medium silver gray in color with patches of lighter gray and
some iridescent blue and rose toning. The fields on both sides are brightly reflective and semi-prooflike.
Not holed. Minor handling marks, light obverse hairlines. This size is known in silver originals and
matte silver and copper restrikes. The finest seen example, a Choice AU remainder piece with prooflike
surfaces, was sold in Sotheby’s (New York) Zabriskie sale in June, 1999. The Ford specimens are close
runners up to that piece’s quality. As testament to the rarity of this size the cataloguer notes that it
was missing from both the Garrett and Schenkel sales. Dreyfuss’ was graded VF.
Carlson’s research yielded only 11 auction records for a silver 76mm Jackson, a figure that undoubt-
edly includes duplicate appearances of the same medal. A matte silver 76mm Jackson in Kirtley’s List
123 (November, 1995, lot 2370) shows that the size was restruck in the 20th c. for a collector. There is
one in the Heye Foundation attached to some lovely beadwork. The heavy weight and unusual thick-
ness of this piece are suggestive of a different batch of planchets and thus a different time of striking
than the two First Size medals to come next. The cataloguer knows of no other heavyweights like this.
In the absence of others it would be unwise to think of this as a restrike.
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
— 91 —
*
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
126 Andrew Jackson Indian Peace Medal, 1829. Silver. First Size. First Reverse. J.IP.14, Pr.43,
B.29. About Uncirculated. Obverse signed FURST F. 75.6mm. Rims 3.6 - 3.9mm thick. 2,329.6 gns.
Another exceptional large size Jackson medal. Deep silver gray on the front, a little lighter on the back,
both sides nicely toned with iridescent blue and rose over brightly reflective, semi-prooflike surfaces.
Neatly holed; bent replacement loop. Some noticeable reverse rim tics and shallow bruises, other more
minor handling marks.
Ex F. C. C. Boyd Estate.
A VERY RARE MIDDLE SIZE JACKSON MEDAL
Lot No. 128
127 Andrew Jackson Indian Peace Medal, 1829. Silver. First Size. First Reverse. J.IP.14, Pr.43,
B.29. About Uncirculated. Obverse signed FURST F. 75.5mm. Rims 3.5 - 3.6mm thick. 2,247.9 gns.
Medium silver gray in color on both sides. Large hole; no loop. Clearly a presented medal with the sorts
and types of handling marks expected from such a one.
Ex J. Douglas Ferguson at the CNA Convention (Montreal) on August 12, 1965.
128 Andrew Jackson Indian Peace Medal, 1829. Silver. Middle Size. First Reverse. J.IP.15,
Pr.43, B.30. Choice Extremely Fine. Obverse signed FURST F. 62.3mm. Rims 3.0 - 3.2mm thick.
1,444.7 gns. Medium silver gray in color with a touch of pale iridescent blue. Both sides are brightly re-
flective and semi-prooflike. Neatly holed; replacement loop. Once cleaned. Some rim nicks both sides,
other hght handling marks. This size is known in silver originals and copper restrikes. It is very rare
with only two recent auction records for a 62mm silver Jackson (Stack’s and Presidential’s sales of De-
cember, 1993, the former re-appearing in Linett’s March, 1997 auction as lot 180).
Carlson’s research yielded only 3 auction records for a silver 62mm Jackson. There is one example in
the ANS Collection (the Prucha plate piece) but the Museum of the American Indian has only the more
common 76mm size. The Dreyfuss (1986), Kessler-Spangenberger (1981), and Hunter (1920) sales also
contained only the 76mm medal in silver. Jackson in silver was missing altogether from the Henry
Holland (1878), Mickley (1878), Bushnell (1882), Parsons (1914), and Schenkel (1990) sales. This size
may not have been restruck in silver.
Ex New Netherlands Coin Company’s 34th Sale (October 5, 1951, lot 486); J. Douglas Ferguson at the CNA Convention
(Montreal) on August 12, 1965.
— 93 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
129 Andrew Jackson Indian Peace Medal, 1829. Silver. Third Size. First Reverse. J.IP.16, Pr.43,
B.31. Impaired Proof. Obverse signed FURST F. 50.8mm. Rims 3.0 - 3.1mm thick. 854.6 gns. An ex-
ceptional specimen, Mr. Ford thought this might have been one of the three Proofs delivered to Jack-
son in late November, 1831. Fairly even medium silver gray in color in the centers, slightly darker
around the rims with iridescent blue there. Both sides are brightly reflective and prooflike. Neatly
holed; original loop. Serious reverse rim bruise at left; lightly hairlined. Once cleaned. Patches of rust
on the reverse below PEACE. This size is known in silver originals and copper restrikes.
Carlson’s research yielded only four auction records for a silver 51mm Jackson. Garrett’s (lot 1921)
reappeared in Stack’s sale of October, 1988 (lot 254). Another appeared in the August, 1997 Maine An-
tique Digest offering by Stack’s. The ANS has one engraved on the back BEAR SHIELD. In April, 1990
the cataloguer was shown an impression of the Jackson portrait for the 51mm medal on a square lead
planchet with bevelled edges. It was not a die or hub trial. In the legend, the first ‘O’ and first ‘T’
showed recutting. The origin and purpose of that piece remain obscure.
Ex Gale Hawkes on November 5, 1975.
130 Andrew Jackson Indian Peace Medal, 1829. Silver. Third Size. First Reverse. J.IP.16, Pr.43,
B.31. Extremely Fine. Obverse signed FURST F. 51.0mm. Rims 2.8 - 2.9mm thick. 796.3 gns.
Medium silver gray on the obverse, lighter gray on the back, both sides dull in appearance. Neatly
holed at the top; no loop. Light abrasions in the right obverse field. Minor rim impairments. No reverse
rust under PEACE.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
131 Andrew Jackson Indian Peace Medal, 1829. Silver. Third Size. First Reverse. J.IP.16, Pr.43,
B.31. Extremely Fine. Obverse signed FURST F. 50.8mm. Rims 2.8 - 2.9mm thick. 841.9 gns. Light
silver gray on both sides with iridescent blue and russet around the rims. Both sides are lightly reflec-
tive. Holed and plugged. Shallow obverse rim bruise. No rust on the reverse under PEACE.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
Wapella, Chief of the Fox,
wearing a Jackson Indian Peace Medal
— 95 —
MARTIN VAN BUREN
1837-1841
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
MARTIN VAN BUREN
1837 - 1841
Born December 5, 1782. Elected December 7, 1836.
Inaugurated March 4, 1837. Died July 24, 1862.
INDLAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1837 - 1841
1840: Approximately 40,000 Indians from the “Five Civilized Tribes” are now reset-
tled in Indiana Territory. Most are organized into self-governing republics modeled
after the federal government each with its own constitution and legal system.
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE VAN BUREN PRESIDENCY
Benefitting from the experience of the delays incurred in
striking the Jackson medals, the Bureau Of Indian Affairs,
the Secretary of War, and the Mint all cooperated in making
the production of the Van Buren medals a model of speed and
efficiency. From the initial order in April, 1837 to the deliv-
ery of the first medals on September 20 only five months
elapsed. By the end of the following month the entire order
had been struck. Once again, Moritz Furst did the presiden-
tial portrait and engraved the dies. Mintage figures show 56
of the largest size, 100 of the second, and 100 of the small-
est size Van Buren medals were struck by October 31, 1837.
The following year a further fifty 76mm medals were made
and early in 1839 another twelve 62mm and nine 51mm
medals were struck. Totals for Van Buren, then, were 106 of
the 76mm size, 112 of the 62mm, and 109 of the smallest
51mm size.
132 Martin Van Buren Indian Peace Medal, 1837. Silver. First Size. First Reverse. J.IP.17,
Pr.44, B.32. Extremely Fine. Obverse signed FURST F. 75.6mm. Rims 3.3 - 3.7mm thick. 2,269.7
gns. A nice example. Pale silver gray in the fields with light russet toning around the rims. Brightly re-
flective semi-prooflike fields. Holed near the top; no loop. Minor handling marks, nick in the upper left
obverse field, reverse field abraded at bottom. This size is known in silver originals and copper and alu-
minum restrikes. The largest size Van Buren may be marginally rarer than the other two but it should
be said that of all the presidents in silver Van Buren is one of the easiest to obtain and in nice condi-
tion too. Garrett’s was a nice Extremely Fine. There was an AU in Stack’s March, 2000 auction. The
Dreyfuss specimen, on the other hand, was a fairly ugly tooled Fine.
Carlson’s research yielded 10 auction records for a silver 76mm Van Buren. This size does not seem
to have been restruck in silver. The aluminum piece may be seen in Stack’s 2000 Americana auction.
Ex Jim Cope on December 10, 1979.
— 97 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
133 Martin Van Buren Indian Peace Medal, 1837. Silver. First Size. First Reverse. J.IP.17,
Pr.44, B.32. Nearly Extremely Fine. Obverse signed FURST F. 75.6mm. Rims 3.3 - 3.6mm thick.
2,297.7 gns. Much deeper gray than the first, the color uniform on both sides with some pale rose iri-
descxence. Holed near the top; replacement loop. Scuffs, abrasions, scratches and other handling
marks on both sides, the medal has the appearance of an awarded piece.
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
134 Martin Van Buren Indian Peace Medal, 1837. Silver. Middle Size. First Reverse. J.IP.18,
Pr.44, B.33. Very Fine to Extremely Fine. Obverse signed FURST F. 62.3mm. Rims 3.0 - 3.2mm
thick. 1,446.8 gns. A nice looking specimen with medium silver gray color accented by russet and pale
blue around the obverse rim. Lighter silver gray on the back. Holed near the top; plain round loop.
Minor handling marks only. This size is known in silver originals and copper restrikes. The cataloguer
has records of four silver 62mm Van Burens including the Bridge Collection piece that was certified
genuine and original by ANAAB in 1991. Dreyfuss’ was a nice EF and LaRiviere’s (ex NN April, 1972)
was a good VF. The piece in Presidential’s sale of November, 1999 had changed hands four times over
the previous two years. Carlson’s research yielded 12 auction records for a silver 62mm Van Buren.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
-98 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
135 Martin Van Buren Indian Peace Medal, 1837. Silver. Third Size. First Reverse. J.IP.19,
Pr.44, B.34. Extremely Fine. Obverse signed FURST F. 50.9mm. Rims 2.6 - 2.7mm thick. 794.7 gns.
An attractive, fairly high grade example of this size. Deep silver gray color on both sides. Holed at the
top; plain round loop. Minor handling marks only. This size is known in silver originals and copper re-
strikes. It may be the commonest of all the Van Buren sizes. The cataloguer has 10 auction records
over the past 21 years including Kosoff s and Dreyfuss’. Carlson’s research yielded only 5 auction
records for a silver 51mm Van Buren, however. Most of the smallest Van Burens seem to come in heav-
ily worn condition, suggesting they are the survivors of awarded medals and not remainders left over
after 1841.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON
1841
Born February 9, 1773. Elected December 2, 1840.
Inaugurated March 4, 1841. Died April 4, 1841.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1841
1841: President Harrison was in office for just one month. Descriptions of events dur-
ing his short presidency may be found under the preceding and following presidencies.
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE HARRISON PRESIDENCY
There is no known silver Indian Peace medal bearing Pres-
ident Harrison’s portrait and none is known to have been
made. In fact, Mint Director Patterson’s request that the
Secretary of War consider having one made to help complete
the series was ignored by Secretary Spenser in 1841. Julian’s
listing that follows is the unique copper mule in the ANS of a
first reverse Indian Peace medal die with a die made by hub-
bing the Harrison portrait from his military medal (Julian
MI. 14) into a die with a presidential legend. Julian implies
the piece is struck. Carlson’s records show two appearances
of copper plated lead casts of this muling. Whatever the true
nature of the William Henry Harrison medal, it is not known
in silver, was never authorized by the Secretary of War, and
is not part of the regular Indian Peace medal series. Julian
IP.20, Prucha-unlisted, Belden-unlisted. 52mm. Unique
and known today only in copper in the ANS Collection. It
should be de-listed.
— 99 —
^ 1 **
ju
JOHN TYLER
1841 - 1845
Born March 29, 1790. Elected vice president December 2, 1840.
Succeeded April 4, 1841. Died January 18, 1862.
IND1AN-U.S. RELATIONS 1841 - 1845
1844: The first issues of the newspaper
homa. Federal troops confiscate the press.
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS
In a breach of earlier precedent the Mint opened discus-
sions about the new president’s Indian medals directly with
the Secretary of War late in 1841. Mint Director Robert M.
Patterson received authorization to proceed in October of
that year. Patterson decided to initiate a new way of making
the dies for the medals, and rather than employing an artist
like Furst to cut dies, to make a single wax or plaster portrait
model and by using a reduction machine take dies off it in
whatever size might be wanted. The cost savings were con-
siderable and the identity of the design from one size medal
to another appealed to the mid-century love of order and uni-
formity.
By the summer of the following year Congress had passed
an appropriation for the Tyler medals, but the legislative ac-
Cherokee Advocate are published in Okla-
OF THE TYLER PRESIDENCY
tion seems to have woken up the Bureau of Indian Affairs
which, noting its circumvention, decided to enter the process
at this point. Chief of bureau T. Hartley Crawford wrote in
pique to Director Patterson, reminding him of his bureau’s
traditional role in making Indian medals. Patterson seems to
have taken offense, for despite having received the appropri-
ated money by November, the Mint still had not struck any
of the new medals. Crawford demanded action and Patterson
got over his injury quite rapidly as a result. In December the
first of the Tyler medals was delivered to the Secretary of
War, some 100 of the smallest size. By the middle of January,
1843 the entire order had been struck: 60 of the 76mm size
and 100 each of the 62mm and 51mm sizes. However, two of
every five Tyler medals struck were never distributed, but
were melted in 1846.
136 John Tyler Indian Peace Medal, 1841. Silver. First Size. First Reverse. J.IP.21, Pr.45, B.35.
Fine. 75.5mm. Rims 4.2 - 4.5mm thick. 2,504.6 gns. Medium silver gray on both sides, the color nearly
uniform. Holed at the top; no loop. Obverse engraved in left and right fields in a fairly neat script hand
TECUMSEH-JONES CHIEF OTTAWA KANS. INDIAN TRIBE 1866. This size is known in silver origi-
nals and matte silver, copper and aluminum restrikes. All Tyler medals me rare. There was a first size
VF medal in Bowers’ sale of September, 1986 and the 1990 Schenkel sale specimen was VF. An original
in this size was missing from both the Garrett and Dreyfuss collections. The 76mm size was restruck in
matte silver in the 1940’s for Ed Rice.
Carlson’s research yielded only 5 auction records for a silver 76mm Tyler. The aluminum specimen
was in Stack’s 2000 Americana auction. The inscription on this piece is probably spurious. John Tauy
“Tecumseh” Jones (1800-1879) was part Chippewa and part white. He worked as both interpreter and
a Baptist minister at the trading post at the site of what later became Ottawa City. In 1841 he was just
starting his career, not becoming prominent until after 1855 and the death of Jotham Meeker, minister
to the Ottawa. Prior to the Civil War Jones worked with abolitionist John Brown. Jones is buried in
the Ottawa Cemetery in Franklin County, Kansas.
Ex lot 763 (plated) of Charles H. Fisher’s sale of March 14, 1936 held at 922 Guardian Building in Cleveland, Ohio, F.C.C.
Boyd Estate.
101 —
137 John Tyler Indian Peace Medal, 1841. Silver. Middle Size. First Reverse. J.IP.22, Pr.45,
B.36. About Uncirculated. 62.3mm. Rims 3.6 - 3.8mm thick. 1,539.2 gns. A lovely specimen. Both
sides are a nice, medium silver gray in color. There are faint traces of iridescent toning around some of
the protected areas. The fields are brightly reflective. Neatly holed at the top; plain round loop.
Minor handling marks, shallow obverse rim bruise at left only. This size is known in silver originals
and copper restrikes. Garrett’s (lot 1923) was called a proof and was undoubtedly a remainder. It later
appeared in Stack’s sale of October, 1988. The Dreyfuss specimen (ex Kessler-Spangenberger lot 1609)
was VF and had been suspended from an engraved Southern Cross style hanger. Carlson’s research
yielded only 7 auction records for a silver 62mm Tyler. This size may not have been restruck in silver.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
VERY RARE SMALL SIZE TYLER MEDAL
138 John Tyler Indian Peace Medal, 1841. Silver. Third Size. First Reverse. J.IP.23, Pr.45, B.37.
Extremely Fine. 50.7mm. Rims 3.3 - 3.5mm thick. 931.8 gns. A high grade example of this very rare
size. The obverse and reverse are both pale silver gray in color. There is still some residual reflectivity
in the fields. Neatly holed at the top; plain round loop, broken and crushed. This style loop, seen also
on the Van Burens, may be the original type issued with the medal. Minor handling marks, noticeable
reverse rim bruise at lower right. This size is known in silver originals and restrikes and copper re-
strikes. This may be the rarest of the three Tyler sizes.
The cataloguer knows of only two somewhat recent auction records of a silver 51mm Tyler medal,
the 1933 Senter Sale piece that is now in the ANS and the Presidential 54th to Stack’s 2003 Americana
sale specimen. There was none in the Garrett, Dreyfuss, Kessler-Spangenberger, Schenkel, or LaRiv-
iere sales. Carlson’s research yielded only three auction records for a silver 51mm Tyler. The Bridge
Collection example (lot 1059) was described by J.P. Martin of ANAAB as “While staff feels | this is]
most probably genuine, consultants have suggested caution in certifying these as they would create an
undocumented precedent. More research would be required to certify them.” That work still has not
been started.
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
— 102 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
JAMES POLK
1845 - 1849
Born November 2, 1795. Elected December 4, 1844.
Inaugurated March 4, 1845. Died June 15, 1849.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1845 - 1849
1846- 1859: “As an independent republic from 1836 to 1845, Texas had developed its
own Indian policy. During his first administration, President Sam Houston inaugurated
a policy of peace, friendship, and commerce, with provisions as needed for protection of
the frontier against Indians who remained hostile. But depredations did not decrease,
as settlers pressed upon the Indian lands, and Houston’s successor, Mirabeau B.
Lamar, declared the policy of pacification a total failure and began an aggressive pro-
gram that sought the expulsion or extermination of the Indians. The result was almost
continual warfare in which the Indians were removed or pushed back before the ad-
vancing Whites. When Houston returned to the presidency at the end of 1841, he rein-
stituted his pacific policy. Peace treaties were signed with the Indians and new trade
relations established; his successor, Anson Jones, followed the same plan. Protective
measures were still necessary against hostile tribes, but disturbances on the frontier
were lessened and the cost of Indian defense greatly reduced.
With the annexation of Texas, the Indian problems of Texas became the responsibil-
ity of the federal government. In a treaty with the important tribes at Council Springs
signed on May 15, 1846, the Indians placed themselves under the protection of the
United States and recognized the sole right of the United States to regulate trade and
intercourse with them. An act of March 3, 1847, provided funds to carry out the treaty
and for the appointment of a special Indian agent, a position filled with distinction by
Robert S. Neighbors. A Texas law of February 6, 1854, authorized the United States to
select and survey areas for the Indians, and two reservations, one on the main fork of
the Brazos River and another on the Clear Fork of the Brazos, were set aside for colo-
nization by the Texas tribes. The tribes that settled the former reserve began cultiva-
tion with some success; the latter reserve, settled chiefly by the Comanches, was less
successful.
Ultimately the reservation system broke down because of antagonism of the Whites
and continual depredations by the Indians. In summer 1859 the reservation Indians of
Texas were moved north across the Red River into Indian Territory.”
1847: The native peoples of the Taos Pueblos resist American expansion and kill the
American territorial governor of New Mexico. In retaliation, American forces drive the
Taos peoples into the pueblos and after shelling by mountain howitzers and an infantry
assault demolish the pueblo and kill hundreds of its people.
1847- 1850: The Cayuse War in the Pacific Northwest follows Presbyterian instigated
mistreatment of native peoples in Oregon County. Ultimately, the war leads to a Con-
gressional decision to make Oregon a U.S. territory in 1849. Indian titles to land are to
be extinguished and the area opened to annexation and settlement by whites.
1848: Gold is discovered in California.
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE POLK PRESIDENCY
About a year after Polk’s inauguration Mint Director
Robert M. Patterson hired a New York City artist named
John Gadsby Chapman to model the president’s features for
the reduction lathe. On February 17 Chapman’s wax model
was given to Chief Coiner Franklin Peale and dies were en-
graved soon afterwards. By mid-June the medals were in the
press and the next month the First shipments were sent to
the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ offices in Washington, D.C. In
July, 1846 Mint Director Robert M. Patterson obtained per-
mission to use left over funds from the Polk medals appropri-
ation to have the reverses of the three Indian Peace medal
sizes redesigned. With careful forethought, Patterson decided
to have the dies hubbed, allowing him to make an endless
supply of new working dies should the need arise.
The new designs showed flat tops to the letters A in
PEACE AND. These dies were intended to be the type for all
following Indian medals and they did, indeed, appear on the
Taylor medals of the next presidency. However, in Fillmore’s
administration an entirely new design was introduced and
Patterson’s redesigned Peace and Friendship type was not
retained as the principal type. It was, however, muled with
dies of medals for previous presidents without clear authority
and principally on copper restrikes for collectors. Although
the initial Polk order had called for 60 of the 76mm size and
100 each of the 62mm and 51mm sizes (the same numbers as
the Tyler medal order four years earlier) and all these were
struck, by the end of Polk’s presidency a large number re-
mained undistributed in the Bureau of Indian Affairs. In
1849 some 49 large, 83 medium, and 94 small Polk medals
were melted.
104 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
Lot No. 139
139 James Polk Indian Peace Medal, 1845. Silver. First Size. First Reverse. J.IP.24, Pr.46, B.38.
About Uncirculated. 75.6mm. Rims 4.5 - 5.0mm thick. 2,525.9 gns. A remarkable example. Both
sides are deep gray around the rims, lighter gray towards the centers, with iridescent rose and blue
toning in the fields. The surfaces are brightly reflective and semi-prooflike. Neatly holed at the top; no
loop. Minor handling marks, flan flaws in the upper left obverse field. Very rare: only 11 medals of
this size were not melted at the Mint. This size is known in silver originals and copper restrikes. Polk
may well be the rarest of all presidents on a silver Indian Peace medal. Carlson’s research yielded only
6 auction records for a silver 76mm Polk. The cataloguer actually has no recent records of the sale of
this size. The Ford Collection is the only one known to the cataloguer that contained all three sizes of
Polk.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
Fort William on the Laramie
by Alfred Jacob Miller, 1851
Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK
— 105 —
THE JOHN J, FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
VERY RARE MIDDLE SIZE POLK MEDAL
An Exceptional Specimen
140 James Polk Indian Peace Medal, 1845. Silver. Middle Size. First Reverse. J.IP.25, Pr.46,
B.39. About Uncirculated. 62.4mm. Rims 3.6 - 3.8mm thick. 1,427.5 gns. An exceptional specimen.
Nice, rich satiny smooth pearl grey in color on both sides, the obverse a shade darker than the back,
with light blue iridescence. Both surfaces are brightly reflective. Neatly holed at the top; hanger miss-
ing, old wire loop. Minor handling marks especially for a middle size medal. Patch of rust on the re-
verse rim at left as visible on the next.
Very rare: only 17 medals of this size were not melted at the Mint. This size is known in silver orig-
inals and copper restrikes. The most recent record known to the cataloguer for a 62mm Polk is the De-
cember, 1996 Sotheby’s (New York) sale of a corroded About Very Fine which sold for a respectable
price at the time of $6,875 and went, by way of Stack’s, into the Lloyd Schermer Collection at the Na-
tional Museum of American History. The same medal, today, would bring four or five times that
amount without difficulty. Carlson’s research yielded only 2 auction records for a silver 62mm Polk.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
Notchimine, Iowa War Chief,
wearing a Van Buren Indian Peace Medal
— 106 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
Watchemonne, orator of the Iowa,
wearing a Jackson (probably) Indian Peace Medal
A SECOND VERY RARE MIDDLE SIZE POLK MEDAL
Another Outstanding Example
Lot No. 141
141 James Polk Indian Peace Medal, 1845. Silver. Middle Size. First Reverse. J.IP.25, Pr.46,
B.39. Choice Extremely Fine to About Uncirculated. 62.4mm. Rims 3.7 - 4.0mm thick. 1,406.8
gns. Another outstanding example of this very rare medal, one of just 17 that escaped the Mint’s
melting pots. Both sides are deep gray in color, a shade near charcoal. The surfaces are brightly reflec-
tive. Neatly holed at the top; original loop. Like the preceding, only minor handling marks. Patch of
rust on the reverse rim at left as visible on the first. This size is known in silver originals and copper
restrikes. Here is a second opportunity to acquire a medal that is both rarely offered for sale and is in
remarkable condition.
Ex Virgil Brand Collection, Michael Brand Zeddies on February 18, 1960.
— 107
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
EXTREMELY RARE SMALL POLK MEDAL
One of Just Six Originals Not Melted
142 James Polk Indian Peace Medal, 1845. Silver. Third Size. First Reverse. J.IP.26, Pr.46,
B.40. Extremely Fine. 50.9mm. Rims 3.5 - 3.8mm thick. 934.7 gns. A remarkable example of an ex-
tremely rare Indian Peace medal, one of the rarest in the entire series. Only six of these originals
were not melted in 1849. Both sides are toned in deep silver gray with light blue and rose iridescence.
The surfaces still show considerable original bright reflectivity. Neatly holed at the top; no loop. The
pattern of wear on this piece is suggestive of that of an awarded medal that was worn by its recipient.
This size is known in silver originals and copper restrikes. The cataloguer has only two recent auction
records for an original 51mm Polk, the lovely AU Dreyfuss:5154 example and the very nice EF in Pres-
idential’s sale of December 4, 2004. The Bridge Collection (lot 1060) included a specimen catalogued as
“An early 19th c. [i.e., 20th c.] strike.” Carlson’s research yielded only 5 auction records for a silver
51mm Polk. It is likely that fewer than six originals were actually distributed for award to native
Americans.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd. Estate.
Metakoosega, Chippewa Chief,
wearing a Madison Indian Peace Medal
— 108 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
ZACHARY TAYLOR
1849 - 1850
Born November 24, 1784. Elected November 7, 1848.
Inaugurated March 5, 1849. Died July 9, 1850.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1849 - 1850
1849: Bureau of Indian Affairs is transferred from the War Department to the De-
partment of the Interior.
1850: Congress authorizes (September) Indian agents and commissioners for Califor-
nia who negotiate 18 treaties with California tribes. California whites object the reser-
vations encroach on gold bearing deposits and in 1852 Congress refuses to ratify the
treaties. Reservations established later are found in 1860 to be in miserable condition.
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE TAYLOR PRESIDENCY
Since dies already existed in the Mint’s vaults that bore
Taylor’s bust, those for his Rio Grande and Monterey mili-
tary exploits, it was at first hoped that they could be adapted
for the purpose of making new Indian medals following Tay-
lor’s inauguration. Commissioner of Indian Affairs William
Medill obtained Mint Director Robert M. Patterson’s ap-
proval for this expedient in April, 1849. At the same time,
Medill inquired whether John Gadsby Chapman, the artist
who had executed the wax portrait for the Polk Indian
medals earlier, would be willing to do the same for the Taylor
medals. Since Chapman was abroad at the time, a substitute,
Henry Kirke Brown, was proposed in his place. Despite Di-
rector Patterson’s suggestion that the Buena Vista medal ob-
verse might be suitable for Taylor’s Indian medal portrait,
Secretary of the Interior Thomas Ewing told the Mint in
May, 1849 to employ Henry Brown for the job.
After some delays due to Brown’s lack of experience in
modeling for a portrait lathe, the Taylor commission was fin-
ished in late September. By late November the first medals
were struck from the largest dies, featuring Taylor’s bust by
Brown and the new Type II reverse designed in 1846. Left
over Polk medals were melted late in the year and with their
bullion added to the appropriation for Taylor medals Coiner
Franklin Peale could report that 149 Taylors of the largest
size could be struck, 198 of the second size, and 49 of the
smallest, making a total of 396 Taylor medals. Despite in-
creasing demand for medals from the field there was a large
number left over when Taylor unexpectedly died in July,
1850. Of the 149 Taylors struck in 76mm, 112 were melted to
make Fillmore medals. Likewise, 162 of the second size and
32 of the smallest were also melted for the later presidents’
medals.
Only 89 Taylor medals of all three sizes were distributed to
Native Americans. Taylor is one of the rarest of all presi-
dents in this series in silver. Julian IP. 28, Prucha 47,
Belden 42. 62mm. Known in silver (originals with the Type
I reverse) and copper (restrikes with both [?] reverses). Carl-
son’s research yielded no auction records for a silver 62mm
Taylor. This may be the rarest of all the Taylor medals and
possibly the rarest of all round silver Indian Peace medals
struck after 1801. The cataloguer knows of just one auction
record, the EF Type I reverse medal sold in Presidential’s
December 4, 2004 auction.
- 110 -
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
143 Zachary Taylor Indian Peace Medal, 1849. Silver. First Size. Second Reverse. J.IP.27,
Pr.47, B.41. About Uncirculated. 75.6mm. Rims 4.6 - 4.9mm thick. 2,270.0 gns. Fairly even
medium gray in color on both sides with lovely russet, gold, and pale blue iridescence. Holed at the top;
no loop. The fields are brightly reflective and semi-prooflike. Some light abrasions, pin scratches
around the hole. This size is known in silver originals with the 1846 reverse, copper restrikes with both
reverses, and aluminum with the 1846 reverse. Carlson’s research yielded only 4 auction records for a
silver 76mm Taylor. There was a pedigreed 76mm with the 1846 reverse in LaRiviere:1129 and a
lovely AU Type II reverse example in Stack’s 2002 Americana Sale. Garrett’s Type II reverse silver
76mm Taylor (lot 1924) was graded EF at the time and Bowers sold another silver in his September,
1984 auction (lot 3286). The aluminum specimen may be seen in Stack’s 2000 Americana Sale.
Ex Virgil Brand Collection, Michael Brand Zeddies on February 18, 1960.
VERY RARE SMALL TAYLOR MEDAL
144 Zachary Taylor Indian Peace Medal, 1849. Silver. Third Size. First Reverse. J.IP.29, Pr.47,
B.43. Very Fine. 51.0mm. Rims uniform 3.7mm thick. 996.3 gns. A very rare size with only 17 (some
say 18) originals believed to have escaped melting at the Mint following Taylor’s death in 1850. The ob-
verse and reverse are both toned in deep gray with some light blue iridescence. Neatly holed at the top;
no loop. Reverse rim bruise at left. Very extensive die rust on the reverse and some showing on the
front side, later states than seen on the next. This size is known in silver originals and copper re-
strikes. Carlson’s research yielded only 7 auction records for a silver 51mm Taylor, all covering just
two specimens known to him, one each with the Type I and II reverse. Recent auction records include
the nicked VF in Presidential’s July, 1998 sale ex Hartzog’s September, 1991 sale of the Bridge Collec-
tion, unhelpfully described there as “Similar in fabric to the previous Polk and Tyler, an early 19th
century strike.”
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
— Ill —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
145 Zachary Taylor Indian Peace Medal, 1849. Silver. Third Size. First Reverse. J.IP.29, Pr.47,
B.43. Very Fine. 51.1 mm. Rims 3.7 - 3.8 mm thick. 1,071.7 gns. A second example of a very rare
size with only 17 (some say 18) originals believed to have escaped melting at the Mint following Tay-
lor’s death in 1850. The obverse and reverse of this one are lighter gray with some pale blue irides-
cence. Once cleaned. Neatly holed at the top; no loop. Reverse rusted at top, obverse rust free, earlier
states than seen on the preceding. This size is known in silver originals and copper restrikes. It is in-
triguing to note that while this piece was clearly struck before the lighter one in the preceding lot, its
weight and thickness are close to those seen on the Bridge Collection restrike. It is quite likely that we
are just at the beginning stages of real scientific and historical numismatic study of Indian Peace
Medals.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
Nawkaw, a Winnebago Chief,
wearing three Indian Peace Medals, probably Monroe and Madison
— 112 —
MILLARD FILLMORE
1850-1853
MILLARD FILLMORE
1850 - 1853
Born January 7, 1801. Elected vice president November 7, 1848.
Succeeded July 9, 1850. Died March 8, 1874.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1850 - 1853
1850- 1851: Mariposa War in California involving the Miwoks and Yokuts who rise
against miners and burn trading posts.
1851: Yuma and Mojave Uprising in Arizona and California.
1851- 1853: Increasing passage over the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails and friction with
resident native Americans lead to the 1851 Treaty at Fort Laramie. Northern Plains tribes
grant the U.S. free passage across their lands. Treaties with the Sioux follow and the 1853
Treaty of Fort Atkinson includes Comanche, Kiowa, and Apache in the agreement.
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE FILLMORE PRESIDENCY
Fillmore’s medals represent a radical departure from the
preceding presidencies’ Indian medals and must have caused
some, unrecorded, consternation in the Bureau of Indian Af-
fairs as well as at the Mint. Designed by New York City artist
Joseph Willson, who obtained the commission through politi-
cal patronage, the obverse was conventional enough, but the
reverse, which Willson both designed and engraved (engrav-
ing of the obverse portrait was done by Willson’s friend
Salathiel Ellis), replaced the traditional Peace and Friendship
clasped hands type with one showing a settler instructing an
Indian with an agricultural scene in the background and a
huge American flag in the middle ground. The “Peace and
Friendship” legend was replaced with one proclaiming the in-
terlinked bourgeois constraints of “Labor Virtue Honor”.
In another departure from precedent, only two sizes of
medals were struck for Fillmore’s administration, the largest
and second, the 51mm medal being abandoned. The number
of medals struck in the 76mm and 62mm sizes is unsettled.
Some 281 medals in all were struck of both sizes and when
Fillmore’s presidency ended some 65 were left over. Prucha
suggests 119 of the 76mm and 162 of the 62mm sizes were
struck and these figures are probably as close as any we are
likely to reach.
146 Millard Fillmore Indian Peace Medal, 1850. Silver. First Size. J.IP.30, Pr.48, B.46. Choice
Extremely Fine. Obverse signed S. ELLIS; reverse signed J. WILLSON. 75.8mm. Rims 4.4 - 4.6mm
thick. 2,161.2 gns. Nice satiny gray in color on both sides with iridescent russet and pale blue toning.
Neatly holed at the top; no loop. The surfaces are brightly reflective and semi-prooflike. Any handling
marks are essentially trivial. A remarkable example. This size is known in silver originals and matte sil-
ver, copper and aluminum restrikes.
Carlson’s research yielded only eight auction records for a silver 76mm Fillmore, all covering reap-
pearances of just five different medals known to him. Dreyfuss:5160 was a nice VF example. R.M.
Smythe offered one graded EF in their October, 1996 auction (lot 3043). LaRiviere s (ex Sotheby Parke
Bernet in October, 1975) was Fine with remnants of a name on the obverse. One matte silver restrike
made for Ed Rice in the 1940’s reappeared in Presidential’s December 3, 1988 auction (lot 262). There
is another matte silver restrike in a major western museum collection. The aluminum specimen may
be seen in Stack’s 2000 Americana Sale.
Ex F.t'.C. Boyd Estate.
— 114 -
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
147 Millard Fillmore Indian Peace Medal, 1850. Silver. First Size. J.IP.30, Pr.48, B.46. Very
Fine. Obverse signed S. ELLIS. 75.9mm. Rims 4.1 - 4.3mm thick. 1,984.6 gns. Light gray in color on
both sides. Neatly holed at the top; no loop. Once cleaned. Designer’s name effaced from the base of the
reverse, TREATY hand engraved in its place. Obverse grafitti: war bonnet feathers along the back of
Fillmore’s head, lightning bolts issuing from his nose, cruder bow and arrow scratched in the right
field.
Ex J.D. Ferguson on June 1, 1963.
148 Millard Fillmore Indian Peace Medal, 1850. Silver. First Size. J.IP.30, Pr.48, B.46. Very
Fine. Obverse signed S. ELLIS; reverse signed J. WILLSON. 75.9mm. Rims 4.3 - 4.6mm thick. 2,231.0
gns. Pale silver gray in color. Neatly holed at the top; no loop. Once cleaned. Heavily nicked on both
sides, scratched, some light tooling, clearly an awarded medal. Obverse triple struck.
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
— 115 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
149 Millard Fillmore Indian Peace Medal, 1850. Silver. Middle Size. J.IP.31, Pr.48, B.47. Ex-
tremely Fine. Obverse signed S. ELLIS; reverse signed J. WILLSON. 63.2mm. Rims 3.8 - 4.6mm thick.
1,602.8 gns. Both sides are pale silver in color. There is considerable original reflectivity on the sur-
faces despite having been cleaned. Neatly holed at the top; no loop. This size is known in silver origi-
nals and copper restrikes. This size medal seems to appear with some regularity on the market. The
cataloguer has records of 10 examples offered for sale in the past 20 years including Garrett’s circu-
lated proof (lot 1925) and the Schenkel, Dreyfuss, and New York Public Library sale specimens. Carl-
son’s research yielded only 12 auction records for a silver 62mm Fillmore, all covering the seven or
fewer examples known to him.
Ex William T. Anton, Jr. on November 5, 1965.
Ar-ke-ke-tah of the Sioux Nation,
wearing a Fillmore and a Pierce Medal
National Anthropological Archived, Smithsonian Institution (Neg. #3829-A)
— 116 —
FRANKLIN PIERCE
1853-1857
- 117 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
FRANKLIN PIERCE
1853 - 1857
Born November 23, 1804. Elected November 2, 1852.
Inaugurated March 4, 1853. Died October 8, 1869.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1853 - 1857
1853- 1856: The U.S. acquires 174 million acres of Indian land through 52 treaties,
all of which are subsequently broken.
1854: Passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act ultimately leads to territorial organiza-
tion and settlement which put further pressure on native Americans. Ensuing warfare
leads to calls in the 1860’s to militarize the Bureau of Indian Affairs and place all In-
dian-U.S. relations under the War Department’s aegis. The Grattan Affair (August), a
military miscalculation leading to the murder of Chief Conquering Bear and the subse-
quent destruction of a small army detachment on the North Platte in Wyoming, opens
the first Sioux War. White retaliation raids out of Fort Kearny, Nebraska the following
year result in the massacre of Brule Sioux in their camp at Blue Water.
1854- 1855: Most native American tribes cede their lands and are removed from east-
ern Kansas and Nebraska. In the Pacific Northwest native Americans are also removed
to reservations following treaty cessions of their lands. The Rogue River and Yakima
Wars of the mid-1850’s ensue.
1855- 1856: Yakima War in Washington involving Yakima, Walla Walla, Umatilla,
and Cayuse peoples follows white betrayal of promises made during treaty negotiations
in May, 1855. Army regulars make little progress in their campaign against the tribes.
Rogue River War in Oregon, involving Takelma and Tututni along the Siskiyou Trail.
Masacres on both sides lead to Indian surrender, white betrayal, and the subsequent
dispersal of these tribes.
1855-1858: Third Seminole War ends when Billy Bowlegs and his band surrender
and move west.
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE PIERCE PRESIDENCY
The same political patronage that got Joseph Willson and
Salathiel Ellis the Fillmore commission in 1850 obtained
the Pierce medallic job for the duo in 1853. In yet another
break with precedent, Ellis was permitted to make the dies
and strike the official Indian medals in an establishment in
New York City and not at the Mint in Philadelphia. Fur-
ther, although Ellis received a fair price for his work, he
was also shipped 70 silver Indian medals of previous admin-
istrations (probably just Fillmore’s) to increase the supply
of silver for the Pierce medals. Ellis agreed to strike 120
76mm medals and 150 62mm ones in return. In September,
1853 Ellis reported that he was ready to strike the medals
but had miscalculated the cost of silver and rather than risk
losing money, asked if he could make the medals lighter in
weight than originally called for. The Mint refused the re-
quest, only to find that the first large medals Ellis shipped
were all too heavy, not too light. Ellis wrote later that he
was having trouble striking such large medals in his New
York facility, which was not used to working in such large
modules.
By early November Ellis had shipped all 120 of the large
medals, all of which were slightly overweight. One month
later he shipped all 150 of the 62mm medals but these turned
out to be underweight. The Mint deducted the cost of the
deficit from his commission, which it sent to Willson, then in
Rome, as royalty for the use of his designs. When Pierce’s
presidency ended the Mint melted 23 of the 120 original
76mm Pierce medals and 22 of the 62mm ones. The original
Pierce obverse showed 1853 in large numerals. When the die
broke, around 1870, it was replaced with one showing the
date in smaller numerals. Mules are known of the Pierce
medal in copper showing both of these obverses married to
both earlier reverses, Types I and II.
— 118-
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
150 Franklin Pierce Indian Peace Medal, 1853. Silver. First Size. Original Large Date obverse.
J.IP.32, Pr.49, B.48. About Uncirculated. Obverse signed S. ELLIS; reverse signed J. WILLSON.
76.2mm. Rims 4.6 - 5.0mm thick. 2,355.5 gns. Light silver gray in color on both sides with rose and
pale blue iridescence. Obverse and reverse fields brightly reflective and semi-prooflike in places. Neatly
holed at the top; no loop. Rim dent and nick on the obverse at the upper right, another at the lower left
on the back. Noticeably double struck on the obverse. This medal is known in silver originals with
Large Date and matte silver restrikes with Small Date and copper restrikes with Large and Small Date
obverse and settler reverse as well as the earlier Types I and II reverses, and aluminum restrikes with
Small Date obverse and settler reverse.
Carlson’s research yielded only 10 auction records for a silver 76mm Pierce, all covering the 8 or
fewer examples known to him. Garrett’s Large Date silver 76mm Pierce (lot 1926) was a nice EF and
the one sold by Linett in June, 2002 (lot 1105) was a Large Date VF. LaRiviere’s Large Date silver
76mm Pierce was ex Sotheby’s (New York) sale of November 21, 1991 and was a cleaned VF. The
Bridge Collection Pierce was graded About Fine/VF and had been certified authentic and original by
ANAAB. There was a silver 76mm Pierce in Stack’s list published in the August, 1997 issue of the
Maine Antique Digest. Mules in copper are confirmed for the Large Date/Type I reverse marriage
(Presidential’s sale of October 28, 2000, lot 409) and Large Date/Type II reverse (Dreyfuss:5166 and
Presidential’s sale of December 8, 1990, lot 56). Most cataloguers do not notice the complexities of the
76mm Pierce in copper. The present writer cannot confirm the existence of copper mules with the
Small Date obverse married to either Type I or Type II reverse.
Ex Virgil Brand Collection, Michael Brand Zeddies on February 18, 1960.
— 119 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
151 Franklin Pierce Indian Peace Medal, 1853. Silver. First Size. Original Large Date obverse.
J.IP.32, Pr.49, B.48. Very Fine to Extremely Fine. Obverse signed S. ELLIS; reverse signed
J. WILLSON. 76.2mm. Rims 4.7 - 5.1mm thick. 2,530.8 gns. Very deep, almost dark toning on both
sides. Neatly holed at the top; twisted wire replacement loop. Somewhat reflective surfaces. Unusually,
struck on a flan that almost appears to have been cast as made, notice the flaw along Pierce’s hairline.
The first such seen, undoubtedly genuine but the piece is exceptional. Expected handling marks.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
Wabaunsee, war chief of the Potawatomi,
wearing a Van Buren Indian Peace Medal
— 120 —
THE JOHN J. FORD. Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
Nowaykesugga, Oto Chief
152 Franklin Pierce Indian Peace Medal, 1853. Silver. First Size. Original Large Date obverse.
J.IP.32, Pr.49, B.48. Very Fine. Obverse signed S. ELLIS; reverse signed J. WILLSON. 76.0mm.
Rims 4.6 - 4.8mm thick. 2,390.1 gns. Deep silver gray in color on both sides. Neatly holed at the top; no
loop. Usual handling marks for one of these big medals, noticeable edge and rim dent at the top of the
obverse.
Ex Fred S. Werner on April 21, 1975, obtained from an antiques shop in Las Vegas, Nevada.
— 121 —
153 Franklin Pierce Indian Peace Medal, 1853. Silver. Second Size. J.IP.33, Pr.49, B.49. Very
Fine. Obverse signed S. ELLIS; reverse signed J.WILLSON. 63.3mm. Rims 4.0 - 4.5mm thick. 1,615.3
gns. (ensuite). Deep silver gray in color on both sides. Neatly holed at the top; no loop. Minor handling
marks. Accompanied by a red and white ribbon ensemble to suspend the medal from the neck, the
white imprinted in fraktur 1853 TREATY WITH CHIPPEWA INDIANS. The closest the cataloguer
can come to identifying this treaty is the one of the following year between the Fond du Lac band of
Chippewa and the U.S. government. The inscription on the ribbon may not refer at all to a real treaty,
rather, drawing its date from that on the medal and assuming the medal was a token of a treaty signed
that year. This size is known in silver originals and copper restrikes.
Carlson’s research yielded only 2 auction records for a silver 62mm Pierce, l’he cataloguer has
records of the sale of six specimens in silver including the Kessler-Spangenberger to Dreyfuss to
Schenkel dented VF, a Fine in Presidential’s December 5, 1992 sale (lot 290), and an About VF ex
Sotheby’s (New York) sale of December, 1999.
Ex Frederick G. Weber on dune 2, 1980.
— 122 —
JAMES BUCHANAN
1857-1861
— 123 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
JAMES BUCHANAN
1857 - 1861
Born April 23, 1791. Elected November 4, 1856.
Inaugurated March 4, 1857. Died June 1, 1868.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1857 - 1861
1858: Believing that the native American tribes were in danger of extinction, the
U.S. adopts the reservation system as a way of preserving their ways of life in areas im-
mune from white encroachment. Captain John “Rip” Ford at the head of his Texas
Rangers initiates (May) a new campaign against the Comanche. Despite some military
successes the Comanche remain active and unsubdued through the Civil War years.
Coeur d’Alene or Spokane War involving the Coeur d’Alene, Spokane, Palouse, Yakima,
and Northern Paiute. In the fights at Pine Creek in May and Four Lakes in September
the armed bands of native peoples suffer severe casualties.
1860: The Paiute or Pyramid Lake War in Nevada involving the Southern Paiute fol-
lowing white criminal behavior and ensuing Indian retaliation. By June, Paiute war-
riors have been dispersed at Pinnacle Mountain.
1860-61: In a brilliant guerrilla campaign at Fort Defiance and in the Chuska Moun-
tains Navajo warriors under Maneuelito and Barboncito prove to the army that their
people will not be easily subdued.
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE BUCHANAN PRESIDENCY
Joseph Willson and Salathiel Ellis once again won the con-
tract to make the new presidency’s Indian medal and once
again, the patronage of New York Congressman Ransom
Gillet was the key that opened the door for the duo. Anthony
Paquet, a well known artist of the day, had also enlisted po-
litical patronage in his hopes of winning the Buchanan com-
mission but his congressman, Thomas Florence of
Pennsylvania, was unsuccessful in winning the job for his
client. After winning the order Willson and Ellis set to work
making the dies and by the end of August could report they
were nearly finished. They redesigned the reverse once again,
this time showing an Indian ploughing in a central medallion
with a violent scalping scene around the rim at the top, a
bow, pipe and quiver below, and a female Indian head at the
very bottom. Interestingly, the only comment the adminis-
tration made about the redesign was to request removal of
the war bonnet from the ploughing Indian’s head, which was
felt to be incongruous in a pastoral setting.
Willson’s and Ellis’ request for silver bullion in the form of
unissued medals and an advance to buy more silver on the
New York market was met with a demand from Commis-
sioner of Indian Affairs Charles Mix for a firm contract and
surety bonds from the pair. The arrangement called for 52
medals in 76mm format and 70 in 62mm module. The part-
ners were to receive 45 unissued medals to melt into silver
for the Buchanan contract. Following Willson’s death in Sep-
tember, 1858 Ellis carried on alone but ran into several prob-
lems that caused delays, not the least of which was the
continual problem with weights of the medals, which varied
from those stipulated, as they had previously with Fillmore’s.
By the end of the contract Ellis had shipped to the Indian Of-
fice 69 of the 76mm and 74 of the 62mm medals. None seems
to have been left over at the end of Buchanan’s presidency.
Ellis retained the 76mm signed reverse die until 1862.
When he sent it to the Mint that year it was mounted in the
press to make 76mm Lincolns, but it broke after striking
only 8 Lincolns in silver and a handful of copper Buchanans.
A new die was made in 1863 using Willson’s design but omit-
ting his name from the exergue. Lincoln medals were struck
with this new die along with a very few special order copper
Buchanans. Julian IP.36, Prucha-unlisted, Belden pp.
35-6. 76mm. Known only in copper. This medal marries the
correct Buchanan portrait obverse with the older settler and
Indian reverse originally made for the Fillmore medal
(IP. 30). Since Ellis kept the reverse die he made for the
Buchanan medal that showed the scalping scene and did not
send it to the Mint until 1862, any copper medals sold to the
public before that date bore the older Fillmore reverse. Natu-
rally, few were actually sold at the time and these are, conse-
quently, quite rare.
Carlson’s research yielded only 9 auction records for a cop-
per 76mm Buchanan, for example. An interesting copper
mule of this reverse and Anthony Paquet’s obverse for the
Japanese Embassy medal (Julian CM. 23) appeared as lot 292
in Presidential’s sale of December, 1992. Julian IP. 37,
Prucha-unlisted, Belden-unlisted. This should be delisted
as the medal it referred to was a misidentified Julian IP.36.
— 124 —
THE JOHN J. FORD. Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
154 James Buchanan Indian Peace Medal, 1857. Silver. First Size. J.IP.34, Pr.50, B.50. Very
Fine to Extremely Fine. Obverse signed S. ELLIS. SC; reverse signed J. WILLSON. DEL & SC.
75.7mm. Rims 4.6 - 4.9mm thick. 2,737.6 gns. Light silver gray on both sides with deep russet and gold
around the protected areas and the rims. Neatly holed at the top; replacement wire loop. Fields exten-
sively tooled on the front probably to remove an inscription. Cleaned but some toning remains on the
back. Obverse rim chewed at lower right; tics in central reverse roundel. This size is known in silver
originals and copper restrikes from both the signed and unsigned reverses.
Carlson’s research yielded only 3 auction records for a silver 76mm Buchanan. The Dreyfuss:5170
example was graded VF but had the bow, quiver, and arrows tooled away from the back. Schenkel:4032
was a decent VF. The cataloguer has records of a further two silver 76mm Buchanans. The Bridge Col-
lection example, lot 1064, was certified by ANAAB as genuine and original; it later reappeared in
Sotheby’s (New York) sale of December 14, 1999, lot 381. The cataloguer knows of only five recorded
examples of the Buchanan 76mm medal in copper with the signed reverse (Dreyfuss:5171, Springfield
11:4140, Presidential’s Dustcrberg sale, two others) and only two with the unsigned reverse (Drey-
fuss:5172 and lot 514 of Presidential’s December 6, 2003 sale), making the type perhaps the rarest of
all copper Indian Peace medals. A copper shell of the signed reverse appeared as lot 288 in Presiden-
tial’s sale of December, 1991.
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
— 125 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
SECOND SIZE BUCHANAN MEDAL
iO
Lot No. 155
155 James Buchanan Indian Peace Medal, 1857. Silver. Second Size. J.IP.35, Pr.50, B.51. Fine
to Very Fine. Obverse signed S. ELLIS. SC; reverse signed J.WILLSON. DEL & SC. 62.6mm. Rims 3.4 -
3.8mm thick. 1,535.5 gns. Medium silver gray in color on both sides making a decent looking medal
with good eye appeal. Neatly holed at the top; twisted wire replacement loop. Minor handling marks
commensurate with wear. This size is known in silver originals; none seem to have been restruck in
copper for collectors. Carlson’s research yielded only 7 auction records for a silver 62mm Buchanan.
The cataloguer has records of the sale of only two different specimens, including the one in lot 280 of
Presidential’s June 25, 1988 sale and a flatly struck VF sold by private treaty in 1997.
Ex Jim Cope on August 20, 1978.
Tahrohon, Iowa Chief
— 126 —
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
1861-1865
— 127 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
1861 - 1865
Born February 12, 1809. Elected November 6, 1860.
Inaugurated March 4, 1864. Re-elected November 8, 1864.
Died April 15, 1865.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1861 - 1865
1861: The Confederate States of America is established at Montgomery, Alabama
(February 4). Jefferson Davis of Mississippi is elected president and Alexander H.
Stephens of Georgia vice president five days later. The Confederacy establishes its own
Bureau of Indian Affairs and promises return of Indian lands but most tribes (except
for sections of the “Five Civilized Tribes”) proclaim their neutrality.
1862: Santee Sioux in Minnesota and later (1863-64) Teton Sioux in North Dakota
rise against the whites. Congress charters a transcontinental railroad and committs it-
self to “extinguish as rapidly as may be the Indian title” to the land along the right-of-
way.
1861-1886: Apache Uprising in Arizona and New Mexico lasting 25 years under war
leaders Mangas Colorado, Cochise, Victorio, Loco, and others. No other native people
consistently resisted assimilation and dissolution by the whites for so long or so suc-
cessfully.
1862: The Santee Sioux War starts (August). Army artillery wins the fight for the
whites, Chief Little Crow and his band flee to Canada, 38 Santee are hanged in the
largest mass execution in U.S. history (December 26, 1862 at Mankato, Minnesota).
Bounties are paid for Sioux scalps. By 1864 the Santee and Teton Sioux are beaten. The
Homestead Act opens native lands in Kansas and Nebraska to white settlement.
1863- 64: Kit Carson wages a murderous campaign against the Navajo, burning
hogans, devastating fields, killing livestock, and driving the people away from their bal-
anced way of life. After taking the sacred sites in Canyon de Chelly, Carson sends thou-
sands on a forced march across 300 miles of New Mexico to Bosque Redondo. Hundreds
of the people die. Navajo resistance ends with the surrender of Manuelito in 1866.
1863: The Shoshoni War (Bear River Campaign) starts (January) in Utah and Idaho
involving the western Shoshoni following the foundation of Fort Douglas in the
Wasatch Mountains above Salt Lake City.
1864- 65: The Cheyenne and Arapaho War breaks out in Colorado and Kansas lead-
ing to the Sand Creek Massacre of 300 Cheyenne by John Chivington and his Colorado
Volunteers (November 29). “The final and most intense phase of the war for the Plains
had begun. It would take another massacre at Wounded Knee a quarter of a century
later to end it.”
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE LINCOLN PRESIDENCY
Almost immediately following Lincoln’s first inauguration
Salathiel Ellis, with the backing of his friend Congressman
Gillet, asked for the contract to make the new presidency’s
Indian medals. Commissioner of Indian Affairs William Dole
accepted Ellis’ offer but once Congress had passed an appro-
priation for the work told Ellis he must sign a performance
bond first. Having passed this obstacle, with Gillet acting as
his surety, Ellis confronted the problem he and his one time
partner Willson had faced in getting the weights of his
medals right the first time. Recognizing his New York City
minting establishment was not up to the job, Ellis asked if
the Philadelphia Mint would prepare and strike the medals
instead. On receiving the Mint’s agreement, Ellis went to
work on the dies and the business was nearly finished by the
end of July, 1862. The first large silver medals were struck
late in September. Three were struck for Ellis’ own use and
five for distribution to the Pawnee but then the 76mm re-
verse die broke.
The new die made by the Mint omitted Willson’s name,
presumably because he was dead and so not entitled further
to consideration or royalties. By the beginning of April, 1863
100 76mm and 100 62mm Lincolns had been struck. These
are the only Indian medals that do not carry the president’s
inaugural date. Sometime in October-November, 1865 an un-
known quantity was taken to the Philadelphia Mint by D.N.
Cooley, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and melted.
— 128 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
156 Abraham Lincoln Indian Peace Medal, 1862. Silver. First Size. J.IP.38, Pr.51, B.53. Choice
About Uncirculated. Prooflike. Obverse signed S. ELLIS. DEL. SC.; reverse unsigned. 75.7mm.
Rims 4.9 - 5.3mm thick. 2,644.1 gns. A magnificent specimen. The obverse is very deeply toned in dark
gray with iridescent rose and russet highlights; the reverse is lighter gray in color and has deep russet
and blue iridescence. The medal was obviously stored reverse down in a collection tray for decades and
was probably collected not long after it was struck. The fields are bright and reflective through the
deep toning. Holed; original loop. Light hairlines, rim tics from loop movement, other minor handling
marks. This size is known in silver originals with both the signed and unsigned reverse, matte silver
restrikes from the unsigned reverse, and copper restrikes from the unsigned reverse.
Carlson’s research yielded only 13 auction records for 10 or fewer specimens known to him of a
76mm silver Lincoln (reverse type unspecified). Garrett’s (lot 1927) was graded proof from the un-
signed reverse and Schenkel’s (lot 4033) was VF also from the unsigned reverse. The cataloguer has
records of only a few more, including one with graffiti on the obverse (Bowers sale of November, 2001,
lot 5177) and one other VF. All his records are of unsigned reverse medals. Dreyfuss did not have one
of this size, which appears to be the rarer of the two in silver original. The Bridge Collection example
from the unsigned reverse, lot 1065, was described as made for a collector and was not certified by
ANAAB.
Ex B. Max Mehl in December, 1952, probably part of the Brock-University of Pennsylvania Collection.
- 129 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
157 Abraham Lincoln Indian Peace Medal, 1862. Silver. First Size. J.IP.38, Pr.51, B.53. About
Uncirculated. Prooflike. Obverse signed S. ELLIS. DEL. SC.; reverse unsigned. 75.7mm. Rims 4.8 -
5.2mm thick. 2,627.5 gns. Another lovely large size Lincoln medal. Both sides are evenly toned in a rich
steel gray. The fields are brightly reflective and nearly fully prooflike. Holed; no loop. There are some
minor rim bruises, light hairlines, and a scratch in the left obverse field.
Ex Aaron Feldman on July 31, 1964.
158 Abraham Lincoln Indian Peace Medal, 1862. Silver. First Size. J.IP.38, Pr.51, B.53. About
Uncirculated. Obverse signed S. ELLIS. DEL. SC.; reverse unsigned. 75.7mm. Rims 4.9 - 5.2mm
thick. 2,641.9 gns. A third exceptionally high grade large size Lincoln. This one is toned in medium
gray on both sides and has light blue and rose iridescence. The fields are brightly reflective and semi-
prooflike. Holed; original loop. Light hairline scratches on both sides, some noticeable. Attempted sec-
ond hole on obverse but started too far to the right.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
— 130 -
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
159 Abraham Lincoln Indian Peace Medal, 1862. Silver. First Size. J.IP.38, Pr.51, B.53. Choice
Extremely Fine. Obverse signed S. ELLIS. DEL. SC.; reverse unsigned. 75.7mm. Rims 5.0 - 5.3mm
thick. 2,626.5 gns. The obverse is a somewhat mottled combination of medium and deep gray while the
back is a more even medium gray in color. Like the first of these large size Lincolns this one was also
probably stored face up in a collection tray. There are hints of light rose toning. The fields are brightly
reflective and semi-prooflike. Holed; no loop. Some hairlines, nick in the upper left obverse field, other
minor handling marks. Partial wire rims.
Ex Jon Hanson on January 5, 1977.
160 Abraham Lincoln Indian Peace Medal, 1862. Silver. First Size. J.IP.38, Pr.51, B.53. Very
Fine. Obverse signed S. ELLIS. DEL. SC.; reverse unsigned. 75.7mm. Rims 4.7 - 5.0mm thick. 2,605.4
gns. Both sides are fight silver gray in color from an old, harsh cleaning. Holed; bent replacement loop.
Obverse rim dent, many reverse rim dents, handling marks both sides, clearly a presented medal.
Ex Louis Werner on January 19, 1965.
— 131 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
161 Abraham Lincoln Indian Peace Medal, 1862. Silver. First Size. J.IP.38, Pr.51, B.53. Very
Good. Obverse signed S. ELLIS. DEL. SC.; reverse unsigned. 75.7mm. Rims 4.2 - 4.6mm thick. 2,578.1
gns. Good, rich deep gray color with some light iridescence. Holed; no loop. A very clean medal, clearly
an awarded piece that was carefully worn.
Ex Virgil Brand Collection, Michael Brand Zeddies on February 18, 1960.
162 Abraham Lincoln Indian Peace Medal, 1862. Silver. First Size. J.IP.38, Pr.51, B.53. Very
Fine. Obverse signed S. ELLIS. DEL. SC.; reverse unsigned. 76.0mm. Rims 5.3 - 5.5mm thick. 3,099.9
gns. Even pearly gray color on an extraordinary heavy weight flan with atypical rounded rims that has
been given a matte finish. This is clearly a struck silver restrike done at the Mint from the original dies
(unsigned reverse, as noted) for a client, probably early in the past century.
Ex E.C.C. Boyd Estate.
— 132 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
163 Abraham Lincoln Indian Peace Medal, 1862. Silver. Second Size. J.IP.39, Pr.51, B.54.
Choice About Uncirculated. Prooflike. Obverse signed S. ELLIS. DEL. SC.; reverse signed J.
WILLSON. DEL. & SC. 62.8mm. Rims 4.0 - 4.4mm thick. 1,444.7 gns. A lovely example. The obverse is
deeply toned in medium gray and iridescent blue and rose; the reverse is a spectacular iridescent russet
with blue and rose around the rim. The fields are bright and reflective. Holed; original loop. Hairlined
on both sides, heavily in places. Minor handling marks. Partial wire rims. This size is known in silver
originals and copper restrikes from the unsigned reverse.
Carlson’s research yielded only nine auction records for eight or more specimens known to him of a
62mm silver Lincoln. The cataloguer has records of several of this size including the VF Dreyfuss:5177,
another VF that appeared in lot 1412 of Coin Galleries’ July 14, 1992 sale, a very nice VF in lot 625 of
Presidential’s sale of December 1, 2001, a VG to Fine piece ex Dorothy Gersonsohn once owned by
LaRiviere, a privately owned Choice VF with OSAGE INDIAN scratched on the obverse seen in Au-
gust, 2002, the Kessler-Spangenberger:1631 piece and the specimen graded Choice VF that was in
Stack’s list published in the August, 1997 issue of the Maine Antique Digest.
Ex Leonard Stark on May 15, 1958.
164 Abraham Lincoln Indian Peace Medal, 1862. Silver. Second Size. J.IP.39, Pr.51, B.54. Ex-
tremely Fine. Obverse signed S. ELLIS. DEL. SC.; reverse signed J. WILLSON. DEL. & SC. 62.7mm.
Rims 4.0 - 4.4mm thick. 1,440.4 gns. Both sides of this example are toned in medium silver gray with
some light russet rose and blue iridescence. The fields still show some of their original reflectivity.
Holed; original loop. There is a minor obverse rim dent and some evidence of light handling but other-
wise the piece is a very acceptable example of the size.
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
165 Abraham Lincoln Indian Peace Medal, 1862. Silver. Second Size. J.IP.39, Pr.51, B.54. Fine
to Very Fine. Obverse signed S. ELLIS. DEL. SC.; reverse signed J. WILLSON. DEL. & SC. 62.7mm.
Rims 3.8 - 4.2mm thick. 1,433.3 gns. Light silver gray in color with signs of light polishing. Holed; re-
placement loop. Given its appearance this was clearly a presented medal that has seen some use.
Ex J. Douglas Ferguson on July 4, 1964.
166 Abraham Lincoln Indian Peace Medal, 1862. Silver. Second Size. J.IP.39, Pr.51, B.54. Fine
to Very Fine. Obverse signed S. ELLIS. DEL. SC.; reverse signed J. WILLSON. DEL. & SC. 62.6mm.
Rims 3.7 - 4.0mm thick. 1,410.3 gns. Pale silver gray in color. Holed; bent but probably original loop.
Obverse scratched, hole enlarged, another example of a presented medal.
Ex Virgil Brand Collection, Michael Brand Zeddies on February 18, 1960.
134 -
THE JOHN J. FORD. Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
167 Abraham Lincoln Indian Peace Medal, 1862. Silver. Second Size. J.IP.39, Pr.51, B.54. Very
Good. Obverse signed S. ELLIS. DEL. SC.; reverse signed J. WILLSON. DEL. & SC. 62.7mm. Rims
4.0 - 4.1mm thick. 1,484.9 gns. Deep silver gray in color. Holed; no loop. Grafitti in the left obverse
field. Many handling marks, another presented medal.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
Old Eagle, Oto Chief,
wearing a Lincoln Indian Peace Medal
National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution (Neg. # 76-4131 )
— 135
ANDREW JOHNSON
1865-1869
THE JOHN J. b QRD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
ANDREW JOHNSON
1865 - 1869
Born December 29, 1808. Elected vice president November 8, 1864.
Succeeded April 15, 1865. Impeached February 24, acquitted May 26, 1866.
Died July 31, 1875.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1865 - 1869
1865-68: Opening of and increasing white traffic along the Bozeman Trail (North
Platte River in Wyoming) that traverses Indian land lead to uprisings by Oglala,
Hunkpapa, and Brule Sioux as well as northern Cheyenne and Arapahoe. In response,
the federal government builds Forts Reno, Phil Kearny, and C.F. Smith in southern
Montana and northern Wyoming by December, 1866, but federal cavalry is bested by
the plains warriors. By the Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1868 the federal government
agrees to give up its posts along the trail in return for peace with the Sioux. During the
summer of 1868 the Sioux burn down the evacuated posts.
1865- 1873: Mexican Kickapoo War in the southwest.
1866: Railway Enabling Act allows taking of Indian land for ‘railroad rights-of-way.
1866- 68: Snake War begins in Oregon and Idaho, involving Yahuskin and Walpapi
bands of Northern Paiutes in Oregon and Idaho.
1867: The last of the federal treaties with Indian nations, that involving the Nez
Perce, is negotiated.
1867- 69: General Winfield Scott Hancock’s campaign against southern Cheyenne
and Arapahoe and their Sioux allies ends in frustration for his military leader, George
Custer and the Treaty of Medicine Lodge in 1867, which gives the peoples a reservation
anchored on the Powder River. The following year, now under Phil Sheridan, Custer
surrounds peaceful Black Kettle and his band in their camp on the Washita River and
in a dawn attack rides into the camp and kills 100 or more warriors, takes the women
and children prisoner, and declares a victory. In 1869, federal troops surround the
Cheyenne Dog Soldier camp at Summit Springs, Colorado, and launch a surprise at-
tack; warriors and their leader, Tall Bull, fight to the death.
1868: Treaty with the Navajo, they are placed on a reservation in the Chuska Moun-
tains. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs issues an estimate that it costs the federal
government a million dollars for each Indian killed. The 14th Amendment denies Indi-
ans the right to vote.
1868- 69: The Southern Plains War starts involving Cheyenne, Arapahoe, Sioux, Co-
manche, and Kiowa peoples. At its end General Sheridan sets up a Comanche and
Kiowa reservation in Indian Territory on the Red River.
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE JOHNSON PRESIDENCY
Anthony C. Paquet, who had lost the Buchanan Indian
medal commission to Salathiel Ellis, was awarded the con-
tract for the second term Lincoln medal in part because Pa-
quet proposed not only to execute the two sets of dies but
also provide the silver for the medals and cover the costs of
striking them at the Mint. The only change to Paquet’s pro-
posal concerned the design for the reverse, which Paquet had
wanted to show the capitol dome in Washington, D.C. In-
stead, the new reverse type was to show a native American
and Columbia shaking hands before a monument to Wash-
ington on which is inscribed PEACE. Following Lincoln’s as-
sassination Paquet executed a Johnson portrait which was
done from life in September, 1865. The designs were all fin-
ished by late October and by January, 1866 the Mint had
made the two sets of dies and struck medals in silver for the
Indian department. Between the end of December, 1865 and
the first week of the following month 90 silver Johnson
medals were struck of each of the two sizes.
— 137
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
168 Andrew Johnson Indian Peace Medal, 1865. Silver. First Size. J.IP.40, Pr.52, B.55. Essen-
tially As Struck. Obverse and reverse signed Paquet. F. 75.8mm. Rims 6.9 - 7.1mm thick. 2,648.7
gns. A truly remarkable example and the finest the cataloguer can recall seeing. Both sides are medium
silver gray, the color accentuated by spectacular iridescent blue, rose, and pale green. The fields are
brightly reflective and semi-proofiike. Not holed. This size is known in silver originals and copper,
pewter, and aluminum restrikes. Carlson’s research yielded only 10 auction records for a 76mm silver
Johnson. Garrett: 1928 was a looped proof example and probably a remainder. Dreyfuss:5179 was a
nice VF missing its mount at the top. LaRiviere:1130 was a pedigreed silver original. The cataloguer
knows of two other 76mm examples. The largest size Johnson silver medal is quite a bit rarer than its
smaller sister. It is believed that about 25-35 original silver medals survive.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
— 138 —
THE JOHN J. FORD. Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
169 Andrew Johnson Indian Peace Medal, 1865. Silver. First Size. J.IP.40, Pr.52, B.55. Choice
Extremely Fine. Obverse and reverse signed Paquet. F. 75.8mm. Rims 6.8 - 7.0mm thick. 2,607.2
gns. An attractive specimen. Light silver in color, the fields somewhat reflective, once cleaned.
Mounted at the top, the ensemble once described by Mr. Ford as “Fitted with mounted (with pin) fixed
ornamental attachment having perpendicular ring at center with a beetle-like wing extending out upon
either side, laying upon and conforming to the edge. Both obv. and rev. outer borders cut, permitting
attachment to be inlaid; pin extends through inner border. Lower prong of attachment, upon obverse,
points to r. center of E... Originally, it was believed that this medal was composed of two shells and a
band, probably because of its atypical ring.”
Ex Spink & Son, Ltd. in August, 1954; J. Douglas Ferguson at the CNA Convention in Montreal on August 12, 1965.
— 139 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
170 Andrew Johnson Indian Peace Medal, 1865. Silver. First Size. J.IP.40, Pr.52, B.55. Very
Fine. Obverse and reverse signed Paquet. F. 75.8mm. Rims 6.9 - 7.0mm thick. 2,650.6 gns. Very dark
silver in color. Mount (as described by Mr. Ford, above) removed, replacement loop. Expected handling
marks for a large and probably awarded medal.
Ex Charles H. McSorley on September 29, 1961.
ViVi ilc) m dfiij :
171 Andrew Johnson Indian Peace Medal, 1865. Silver. Second Size. J.IP.41, Pr.52, B.56. About
Uncirculated. Obverse and reverse signed Paquet. F. 62.7mm. Rims 5.6 - 5.9mm thick. 1,486.1 gns.
An outstanding example of this size Johnson medal. Both sides are a deep silver gray with iridescent
rose and blue around the rims. The surfaces show some residual reflectivity. Mounted with ornamental
attachment pinned through the original hole, the pattern of toning and wear suggesting it is original.
Minor handling marks. Mr. Ford believed this to be one of the 25 delivered on December 23, 1865. This
size is known in silver originals and copper restrikes.
Carlson’s research yielded only 7 auction records for a 62mm silver Johnson. The Bridge Collection
contained a FAT1 specimen certified as genuine by ANAAB which later appeared in Stack’s ad in the
Maine Antique Digest of August, 1997. Dreyfuss:5181 was graded about VF but was missing its hanger
at the top. Schenkel:4034 was a lovely AU with its original hanger. The cataloguer knows of two oth-
ers, both graded about VF to VF. A pair of obverse and reverse white metal splashers appeared in Bow-
ers and MerenaV ale of March, 2003 (lots 3356 and 3557) that were provenanced to a “Paquet”
collection.
1972.
— 140-
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
ULYSSES GRANT
1869 - 1877
Born April 27, 1822. Elected November 3, 1868.
Inaugurated March 4, 1869. Reelected November 5, 1872.
Died July 23, 1885.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1869 - 1877
1870: President Grant gives control of Indian agencies to various Christian mission-
ary societies, removing the army officers who had previously held the positions. This at-
tempt to “civilize” the peoples through religion fails. In a meeting in January at Fort
Cobb, Missouri General Philip H. Sheridan replies to Comanche Chief Toch-a-way’s re-
mark “Me good Indian” by saying “The only good Indian is a dead Indian.”
1871: The Indian Appropriation Act is passed (March 3), making all native peoples
wards of the federal government and nullifying all pre-existing treaties with Indians.
Satanta, war leader of the Kiowa, along with leaders Satank and Big Tree, raid (May) a
federal wagon train on the Butterfield Stage route near Jacksboro, Texas. Army retalia-
tion leads to the death of Satank and the arrest and threatened execution of Satanta
and Big Tree. The Kiowa leaders are released from prison in 1873. General Sheridan
forbids Indians from leaving their reservations without permission.
1872-73: The Modoc War in California starts when the people return to their ances-
tral California lands. Army attempts to force them back to their Klamath reservation
meet with armed resistance. War leaders Captain Jack, Hooker Jim, and Scarfaced
Charley hold off federal troops until the summer of 1873. In 1909 the 51 surviving
Modoc are allowed to return to the Klamath reservation.
1873: First International Indian Fair held in Oklahoma.
1874: Gold is discovered in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
1876-77: The Black Hills War starts when, in response to demands from gold mining
interests, the army demands all Sioux hunting parties in the Black Hills return to their
agencies within two months or be declared outlaw. General Sheridan dispatches Gener-
als George Crook and George Custer on punitive winter campaigns against the Sioux.
Crook is checked at the Rosebud and forced to withdraw. Custer’s command is wiped
out on the Little Big Horn. War leaders Crazy Horse of the Oglala and Sitting Bull and
Gall of the Hunkpapa Sioux show themselves among the finest leaders of light cavalry
forces of all time. By 1877 federal pursuit has effectively ended Sioux independence.
Crazy Horse is murdered on September 5 in a contrived encounter with General Crook.
1877: Nez Perce War starts after 20 years of broken white promises and abusively
exercised cultural hegemony. Chief Joseph leads his band (June to October) on a 1,700
mile fighting evacuation toward Canada and safety but is surrounded by General Nel-
son Miles and surrenders. Chief Joseph dies in 1904 on a reservation in Washington
State. Northern Cheyenne people begin (September) a fighting movement towards the
Tongue River in Wyoming and Montana rather than be interned on a reservation near
Fort Reno. The people elude thousands of soldiers and armed civilians. By the end of
their flight the Northern Cheyenne people are nearly exterminated.
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE GRANT PRESIDENCY
Anthony C. Paquet, the freelance engraver who had de-
signed the Johnson Indian Peace Medal, was given the task
of designing the medal for President Grant’s administration.
The initial negotiations for the contract included provisions
for two sizes, like the Johnson medal previously. Paquet
began work in May, 1870 but part way through his design for
the reverse (which showed the U.S. capitol building, the type
he had almost finished for the Lincoln design and proposed
for Johnson’s) was rejected for one concocted by the presi-
dent’s own cabinet, a crowded affair of little merit. Paquet
accepted the change and finished work on the single pair of
dies in August, 1871. Unlike previous Indian medals, Grant’s
were to be distributed in a single size only, no distinction
being made for recipient’s of greater or lesser puissance. At
some stage in the designing process Grant’s name was omit-
ted and the mistake was not caught until after medals had
been struck.
As called for in the final contract, 300 silver medals were
struck by September, 1871. Later, probably in the 1880’s, re-
strikes were made in silver for sale to collectors. As Julian
notes, there are no ways of distinguishing silver Grants of
1871 from those struck in the 1880’s in the absence of prove-
nance. The later issue Grant medals are the only silver re-
strikes the Mint acknowledged ever having made officially.
— 142 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
172 Ulysses Grant Indian Peace Medal, 1871. Silver. J.IP.42, Pr.53, B.57. Choice Brilliant Proof.
63.4mm. Rims 4.5 - 4.6mm thick. 1,509.2 gns. A gorgeous example of this medal. The obverse is very
deeply toned in gray and russet while the reverse is lighter in color (the medal seems to have been
lying back down in a cabinet for many years). The surfaces are brightly reflective and retain almost all
their original proof finish. Neatly holed at the top; no loop. Virtually no handling marks. This size is
known in silver originals and both 19th and 20th c. restrikes and copper restrikes. This is the only
medal in the series that does not have the presidential name in the legends. Carlson’s research yielded
23 auction records for a silver Grant. The Bridge Collection contained a holed Choice EF specimen cer-
tified as genuine by ANAAB and an unholed matte silver 20th c. restrike. Garrett: 1929 was looped and
graded proof. LaRiviere:1131 & 1132 were pedigreed silver originals. Dreyfuss:5184 was a matte silver
20th c. restrike.
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
173 Ulysses Grant Indian Peace Medal, 1871. Silver. J.IP.42, Pr.53, B.57. Choice Brilliant Proof.
63.7mm. Rims 4.9 - 5.4mm thick. 1,837.9 gns. Another gorgeous example of this medal. The obverse
and reverse of this example are an even, lovely satiny gray in color. The surfaces are brightly reflective
and fully prooflike. Not holed. Virtually no handling marks. This size is known in silver originals and
both 19th and 20th c. restrikes and copper restrikes. This appears to be a 19th c. restrike. It is a bit
over 300 grains heavier than the holed example in the previous lot and the same over the two pedi-
greed Grants in LaRiviere:1131 and 1132.
Ex J.D. Ferguson on August 12, 1965.
— 143 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
174 Ulysses Grant Indian Peace Medal, 1871. Silver. J.IP.42, Pr.53, B.57. Very Fine. 63.3mm.
Rims 4.8 - 5.40mm thick. 1,814.3 gns. Deep silver gray. Even wear in a pattern suggestive of a medal
that has been worn as a decoration. Holed, loop probably original but bent.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
Chief Red Shirt, wearing a Grant Indian Peace Medal
Courtesy of The Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-101337
— 144 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
RUTHERFORD B. HAYES
1877 - 1881
Born October 4, 1822. Elected November 7, 1876.
Inaugurated March 5, 1877. Died January 17, 1893.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1877 - 1881
1877-1880: Victorio’s War, involving the Apache in the southwest.
1878: Bannock War starts in Idaho and Oregon involving the Bannock, Northern
Paiute, and Cayuse peoples. Last buffalo hunts by southern Plains tribes.
1879: The Sheepeater War begins in Idaho involving the peoples of the Salmon River
Mountains of central Idaho who hunt the mountain sheep. The people surrender in Oc-
tober and are removed to the Bannocks’ reservation. Carlisle Indian School is founded,
aimed at assimilating native peoples into Anglo culture.
1879-1880: The Ute War begins over white encroachment onto traditional Ute lands.
By 1880 the Ute people have been moved to a reservation in Utah.
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE HAYES PRESIDENCY
Designed by George T. Morgan, the Hayes medal repre-
sented a return to the oval format of the first medals autho-
rized by the United States of America for presentation to
native Americans. Engraver George T. Morgan took for the
obverse the presidential portrait he had already done for
Hayes’ presidential medal but in a reduced size. The reverse
type harkened back to the intention of the first round medals
authorized by the U.S.A. for presentation to native Ameri-
cans, the so-called Seasons Medals, and shows a settler
demonstrating the benefits of settled European style life to
an armed Indian who, incongruously, wears a war bonnet.
Unlike the earlier medals but in step with the precedent es-
tablished by Grant, only one size was contemplated for the
Hayes medal. The original reverse had the date 1877 at the
top below the word PEACE. This die is said to have been bro-
ken and replaced in June, 1879 by another that lacked the
date. None seem to have been struck in silver for presenta-
tion to native Americans principally because Hayes’ term
was drawing to a close by the time the dies were ready.
Unlike other medals in the series, the Mint struck the
Hayes medal without an order originating from the Bureau
of Indian Affairs. This pre-emptive action by the Mint was to
become the norm until medals for presentation to native
Americans were discontinued. Julian IP.43, Prucha 54,
Belden 58. Oval. This medal is unknown as a silver original.
It is ONLY known in prooflike silver restrikes with 1877 date
signed by Morgan or matte silver restrikes without the date
and designer’s initial and copper restrikes.
Carlson’s research yielded no auction records for an origi-
nal silver Hayes. The Bridge Collection (World Exonumia,
1991) contained a Choice EF heavyweight silver example
with an integral loop with the dated reverse described as a
puzzling medal struck before 1879, after 1879, or 1890-95 (by
Mr. Ford). It sold for $1,650. The same collection also in-
cluded a 20th c. matte silver restrike which sold for $600.
Dreyfuss:5186 was a matte silver 20th c. restrike from the
undated reverse die. One lead restrike is known ex Virgil
Brand who bought it in the Chapmans’ sale of the H.P.
Smith Collection (May, 1906, lot 1748); it appeared recently
in Bowers’ sale of November, 1989 (lot 3506).
— 145 —
THE JOHN J. FORD. Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
JAMES GARFIELD
1881
Born November 19, 1831. Elected November 2, 1880.
Inaugurated March 4, 1881. Assassinated July 2, 1881.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1881
1881: Sitting Bull and his band surrenders at Fort Buford, North Dakota.
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE GARFIELD PRESIDENCY
The Garfield portrait was completed by engraver Charles
Barber after the president’s assassination. The reverse was
Morgan’s earlier design for the second Hayes’ die (without
the date). Like the Hayes medal, the Mint undertook to make
the Garfield medal absent authorization from the Bureau of
Indian Affairs, which did not formally ask for it until April,
1881. In yet another departure from tradition, the Mint pre-
pared dies for Indian medals but did not strike a fixed num-
ber in advance. Instead, medals were struck as orders for
them were received from the Secretary of the Interior’s of-
fice. Although Julian states the dies were not finished until
January 6, 1882, it is known that in late 1881 or early in the
following year some 25 silver Garfield medals were struck
and sent to W.D. Andrus, the Indian agent for the Yankton
Sioux. These were not presented until March, 1882, however.
One of three other silver Garfield medals is known to have
been presented to San Juan, a Mescalero Apache. A photo-
graph showing him wearing his medal was offered as lot 802
in Rex Stark’s fixed price list of November, 2002.
Sitting Bull (1884), photograph taken
five years before his death
Courtesy of The Library of Congress, LC-USZC4-7960
— 147 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
175 James Garfield Indian Peace Medal, 1881. Silver. J.IP.44, Pr.55, B.59. About Uncirculated.
Obverse signed by Charles E. Barber; reverse signed by George T. Morgan. 75.0x58.5mm. Rims uni-
formly 5.3mm thick. 2,029.9 gns. A lovely example of this very rare medal, one of just 28 known to
have been struck and distributed to native American recipients. This piece is richly toned in a fairly
even medium silver gray shade. It was cleaned at one time. The hole was amateurishly drilled from
each side and was not done at the Mint; these may not have been distributed already holed for wear-
ing. This size is known in silver originals and matte silver restrikes and yellow bronze restrikes.
Carlson’s research yielded only 4 auction records for just 2 specimens known to him of what he be-
lieved to have been an original oval silver Garfield. The present cataloguer has no other auction
records for one besides this piece, ex Garrett: 1930. The Bridge Collection contained a Choice EF heavy-
weight silver example with an integral loop struck from a reverse that had a small S-shaped mark in
the field right of the chimney. Described as “Extremely rare, probably unique,” it sold for $1,100. Drey-
fuss:5189 was a 20th c. matte silver restrike.
Ex Fernand David Collection (J. Schulman, March 11, 1930, lot 411), Garrett Collection (Bowers & Ruddy, March 25,
1981, lot 1930).
— 148 —
CHESTER ARTHUR
1881-1885
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
CHESTER ARTHUR
1881 - 1885
Born October 5, 1830. Elected vice president November 2, 1880.
Succeeded September 20, 1881. Died November 18, 1886.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1881 - 1885
1881-86: Geronimo’s War involving the Apaches of the Southwest.
1883-84: Secretary of the Interior Henry M. Teller makes Indian police also judges in
Indian courts, hoping to discourage native peoples from continuing religious practices
such as the Sun Dance. Federal courts rule that Indians are not U.S. citizens within the
meaning of the 14th Amendment and cannot vote.
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE ARTHUR PRESIDENCY
Like the Garfield medal before it, the one for Arthur was a
combination of an obverse portrait taken by Charles Barber
from life and the George Morgan designed reverse originally
done for the second Hayes medal. The dies were ready by
February, 1883 and seem to have been on hand but still un-
used in June of that year. Two copper Arthur medals were
struck and sent to the 1883 Southern Exposition held in
Louisville, Kentucky that year, part of the total of 37 struck
in that metal. Some 5 silver and 5 copper medals were struck
in March, 1885 and sent to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for
distribution, perhaps the earliest instance of non-argentifer-
ous medals made specifically for presentation to native Amer-
icans. Another silver medal was struck in February, 1885 and
sent to the Mint Director.
Secretary of the Interior, H.M. Teller
— 150 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
EXCEPTIONALLY RARE ARTHUR OVAL MEDAL
One of Just Two Originals Known to the Cataloguer
fe-I.
Bp-
vr
\
176 Chester Arthur Indian Peace Medal, 1881. Silver. J.IP.45, Pr.56, B.60. Choice Uncirculated.
Obverse signed C.E. BARBER F.; reverse signed M. 75. 3x59. 2mm. Rims 4.8 - 4.9mm thick. 1,991.2 gns.
A deeply toned example of this exceptionally rare medal, one of just 2 originals in silver known to
the cataloguer. The front of this piece is remarkably deeply toned in steel gray verging on dark char-
coal. The reverse is lighter in shade and has pale rose and blue iridescence. Like the second Grant
medal offered earlier, this piece likely lay back down in a cabinet for many years. Neatly holed at the
top; no loop. Some minor hairlines.
The cataloguer knows of only two original silver Arthur medals, Dreyfuss:5191 bought by Mr. Ford
for a then record price, authenticated by ANAAB, and subsequently sold privately through Stack’s in
May, 1996; and this one, given to H. Moore Teller who was Chester Arthur’s Secretary of the Interior
from 1882 to 1885, probably the one recorded as struck in February of that year. On his death in 1914
this medal descended to Teller’s son H. Bruce Teller, a county judge in Littleton, Colorado. On Bruce
Teller’s death his wife adopted Dorothy Miller Benkelman as her daughter. In 1970 Ms. Benkelman
was hospitalized and she hired a caretaker to look after the Teller home. In 1973 Dorothy moved to
Ohio and sold the contents of the house to the caretaker she had hired three years earlier.
In the house was a grand piano, furniture and paintings, books, and this medal. The caretaker sold
the medal to Mr. Ford in September, 1995. The medal was sent to ANAAB that month and the an-
nouncement of its authentication was published in The Numismatist in the October, 1995 issue (page
1290). This size is known in silver originals and matte silver restrikes and yellow bronze originals and
restrikes. Carlson’s research yielded only one auction record for an original oval silver Arthur. The cat-
aloguer knows of only two originals, this and the Dreyfuss:5191 piece. The Bridge Collection contained
a Choice EF heavyweight silver example with an integral loop struck from a reverse that had a small S-
shaped mark in the field to the right of the chimney. Described as “Extremely rare, probably unique,”
it sold for $1,600. Dreyfuss:5192 was a 20th c. matte silver restrike.
Provenance as noted.
151 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
GROVER CLEVELAND
1885 - 1889
Born March 18, 1837. Elected November 4, 1884.
Inaugurated March 4, 1885. Re-elected 1892.
Died June 24, 1908.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1885 - 1889
1886: Geronimo surrenders (September 4) and the Chiricahua people are first im-
prisoned in Florida, later removed to Fort Sill, Oklahoma (1894).
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE FIRST CLEVELAND PRESIDENCY
Once again, Charles Barber designed the portrait obverse for the Cleveland medal while the reverse
was the same George Morgan design first done for Hayes’ second medal in 1879. The Cleveland dies were
finished in October, 1885 but silver medals were not first struck until May, 1887, when 10 silver and 30
copper specimens were delivered to the Interior Department. All were eventually distributed. For exam-
ple, in 1888 a silver and a copper Cleveland medal was sent to the Hoopa Valley (California) Agency to
serve as first and second prizes in an agricultural fair. That same year, one silver medal was sent to a
Brule Sioux along with 10 copper medals to be distributed locally. When Cleveland was elected for the
second time, in 1892, no new Indian Peace medals were designed. Instead, the older type was employed.
In 1896, the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University requested two sil-
ver Cleveland medals as gifts for two Omahas who had shared information on the history and customs of
their tribe with museum officials. Julian IP.46, Prucha 57, Belden 61. Oval. Struck in silver and cop-
per originals and matte silver and copper restrikes. Carlson’s research yielded no auction records for an
original silver Cleveland. The cataloguer has never seen a silver original and Mr. Ford never owned one.
The Bridge Collection contained a Choice EF heavyweight holed silver example (without an integral loop)
struck from a reverse that had a small S-shaped mark in the field right of the chimney. Described as “Ex-
tremely rare, probably unique” it sold for $1,100. Dreyfuss:5194 was a 20th c. matte silver restrike. The
piece in Stack’s 2004 Americana Sale (lot 2472) had a Specific Gravity of 8.19 and was a silver-plated cop-
per medal.
— 152 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
BENJAMIN HARRISON
1889 - 1893
Born August 20, 1833. Elected November 6, 1888.
Inaugurated March 4, 1889. Died March 13, 1901.
INDIAN-U.S. RELATIONS 1889 - 1893
1890: The Ghost dance offers hope to native peoples of a return to their indepen-
dence. The army bans the celebration. Sitting Bull is killed by Indian police (December
15) before he can join leaders Kicking Bear and Short Bull. Federal troops muster, the
Seventh Cavalry captures Red Cloud’s band, the Massacre at Wounded Knee Creek fol-
lows (December 29).
1891: Harrison opens 900,000 acres of Indian land in Oklahoma to white settlement.
1892: Harrison opens 1,800,000 acres of the Crow reservation in Montana to white
settlement.
1893: More than 6,000,000 acres in the so-called “Cherokee Strip” between Kansas
and Oklahoma are opened for land rush settlement.
THE INDIAN PEACE MEDALS OF THE HARRISON PRESIDENCY
As had become the custom by this time, the obverse por-
trait die for the oval medal was designed by engraver Charles
Barber while the reverse was the same as the 1879 Hayes die
designed by George Morgan. The Harrison oval dies were fin-
ished in early August, 1889. The Bureau of Indian Affairs did
not order any in silver or copper and all made in either metal
seem to have been intended for sale to collectors. Some time
in 1890 the Bureau of Indian Affairs ordered a round medal
to be made for actual presentation to native Americans and
the Mint complied. Charles Barber designed the dies, the ob-
verse showing Harrison’s portrait and the reverse a clumsy
combination of two superimposed roundels with busy design
details filling in the spaces around them. The dies were ready
by the end of October, 1890 and 5 silver medals were struck
and sent to the agent for the Oto and Missouri Indians. The
following month 18 other silver medals were sent for distrib-
ution to Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians, some of which had
their recipient’s names engraved on them.
Fr. Prucha reports a total of 26 round silver Harrison
medals made and distributed by June 30, 1891. One more
was struck the following fiscal year. Julian IP.47, Prucha
58, Belden 62. Oval. Originally struck only in copper, today
the medal is known in matte and prooflike silver restrikes
and copper restrikes. Carlson’s research yielded no auction
records for an original oval copper Harrison. The Bridge Col-
lection contained a Choice EF heavyweight silver example
with an integral loop struck from a reverse that had a small
S-shaped mark in the field right of the chimney. Described as
“Extremely rare, probably unique”, it sold for $2,600. Drey-
fuss:5196 was a 20th c. matte silver restrike.
Louise Beveridge with a Cheyenne and Arapaho delegation outside the family boardinghouse.
Front row, left to right: White Spoon, Black Coyote, He Bear, and Turkey Legs; back row: Cleaver Warden,
Philip Cook, unidentified, Leonard Tyler. Photograph taken in January or February 1899.
National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution (Neg. #23-f)
— 154 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
'I' NJl •, ,
\ ) * ' tfV 1
mi ’UheT
177 Benjamin Harrison Indian Peace Medal, n.d. Round. Silver. J.IP.48, Pr.58, B.63. Choice
Very Fine. Obverse signed C.E. BARBER F. 75.6mm. Rims 4.0 - 4.4mm thick. 3,715.2 gns. Medium
silver gray in color. Holed, original loop. Some handling marks, rim nicks, edge dented at bottom of ob-
verse. Extremely rare, one of just 5 round silver Harrisons known to the cataloguer. Date added in
single numeral punches on the obverse as “1889.” Reverse inscribed across both roundels BULL BEAR
CHEYENNE in hand lettering, below DIED KINGFISHER, OKLA 1909 in individual punches. Edge
inscribed in individual punches PRESENTED TO WHITE EAGLE. JR. JOE. DAVIS * PAWNEE IN-
DIAN * CHEYENNE INDIAN’S.
The cataloguer notes that Old Bull Bear died in 1892 and Young Bull Bear in 1910. While the medal
is genuine and the hand engraved inscription on the front looks like the style of the Julian plate medal,
the death and edge inscriptions were probably added later. The medal is known in silver originals and
matte silver restrikes and copper and aluminum restrikes. Carlson’s research yielded only 6 auction
records for just 4 or fewer specimens known to him of an original round silver Harrison. A silver origi-
nal appeared in Bowers’ sale of November, 2001 (lot 5183). Another silver medal, named to Bear Bow,
Cheyenne, was plated in the July, 1944 issue of Antiques. Julian plates a silver one named to Paul T.
Boynton, an Arapahoe and the next lot includes a fifth in silver.
The cataloguer knows of only four round Harrisons in copper (of the 29 struck), the two in the
Schenkel Sale (lots 4041 and 4042) and the two in Presidential’s Landmark II and Presidents Sales
(lots 476 and 303, respectively). The unique aluminum round Harrison appeared in Presidential’s sale
of June 29, 1991 (lot 320).
Ex Charles H. Fisher’s (Cleveland, Ohio) sale of March 14, 1936, lot 769 (plated there); F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
155 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
178 Benjamin Harrison Indian Peace Medal, n.d. Round. Silver. J.IP.48, Pr.58, B.63. Choice
Very Fine. Obverse signed C.E. BARBER F. 76.7mm. Rims 3.9 - 4.3mm thick. 3,663.1 gns. Lovely,
rich silver gray color with traces of iridescent blue and rose. Holed, no loop. Very minor handling
marks, a very few rim nicks. As noted, an extremely rare medal with just 5 noted by the cataloguer.
Reverse inscribed in an amateurish hand across the top of the right roundel “Big Nob” or “Big Nose”.
The hand engraved inscription on this medal is unlike the style adopted at the Mint and was certainly
added after the medal was distributed.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
EARLY 20TH CENTURY WASHINGTON MEDAL
179 George Washington Indian Peace Medal, 1789 [i.e., ca. 1910]. Silver. Julian unlisted, Pr.60,
B.64. Struck at the U.S. Mint. Choice About Uncirculated. 75.5mm. 3,450.1 gns. Nice, pale silver gray
on matte surfaces, as made. No edge lathe lines, so an early 20th c. strike. These were made by the
Mint when it became embarrassingly clear that there were no round Washington Indian Peace medals
to sell to the public. The dies were cut early in the past century. The first medals were struck in silver
and yellow bronze, later ones in lighter yellow bronze with lathe finishing lines obvious on their edges.
Early silver strikes as this one are actually quite rare.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
— 156 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Indian Peace Medals
OTHER PRIVATELY ISSUED MEDALS
/ _A
180 George Washington Indian Peace Medal, 1789. Copper or bronze, silver plated. Types of Prucha
60, Belden 64 but not the same dies. Extremely Fine. 76.1mm. 3,275.9 gns. Not holed. Reverse edge
bruise. The medal copies the types of the 20th c. U.S. Mint Washington Indian medal but the obverse
is not from the same Washington hub and the reverse is from neither the Type I or II Peace and
Friendship hub. Probably also a 20th c. product.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
181 George Washington Indian Peace Medal, 1789 [i.e., early 20th c.]. White metal, silver
plated. Julian unlisted, Pr.60 and B.64, similar. A close and contemporary copy of the medal
struck at the U.S. Mint ca. 1910. Very Fine. 76.3mm. 2,469.7 gns. Medium silver gray in color, lighter
where the plating still remains. Edge dents. Holed, brass pin and silver hanger. A very close copy of the
U.S. Mint medal, but there are subtle differences between the two. This is probably a private produc-
tion not done at the U.S. Mint (the letter spacing does not look professional).
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
— 157 —
MEDALS PRIVATELY ISSUED
FOR PRESENTATION TO FIRST PEOPLES
THE AMERICAN FUR COMPANY JOHN JACOB ASTOR MEDALS
The most knowledgable collector of American fur trade medals was, of course, Mr. Ford. Over the
years he paid particular attention to these, but made a special study of the American Fur Company
medals made for John Astor. Mr. Ford’s article on the Astor medals that appeared in Coin World.
some decades ago is well known to the handful of collectors who have studied these great rarities.
Entirely unknown to them, however, is the origin of that article, which began as a letter of elucida-
tion sent to James Noble just before the important sale of Astor medals planned by Spink & Son
(Australia).
October 20, 1980
Mr. W.J. Noble
SPINK & SON (AUSTRALIA) PTY. LTD.
25 O’Connell Street
Sydney, 2000 Australia
Dear Mr. Noble:
Your letter of Oct. 9th concerning the two Astor medals and
the J.J.A. 1830 (presumably Astor) “silver pencil holder” ar-
rived here on Saturday. I hasten to answer your inquiry be-
cause of the time factor (the three items to be offered as lot
2158 in your forthcoming sale of November 20th next). Un-
fortunately, a good part of my library and reference material,
including all of my modern sale catalogues (circa 1935 for-
ward), was shipped to Phoenix, Arizona (where I am slowly
trying to relocate) in 1975. However, I will do the best that I
can, from memory, and using sources on hand, to answer
your request for additional information concerning the Astor
medal(s):
(1) The numismatic reference works relating to these medals
are: “Indian Peace Medals Issued in the United States,” B.L.
Belden, A.N.S., New York City, N.Y., 1927, pages 39-43,
Plate 20. “Indian Peace Medals in American History,” F.P.
Prucha, S.J., Univ. of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Neb., 1975
(first published in 1971 by the State Hist. Soc. of Wisconsin),
pages 139-142.
(2) The medals were first proposed in 1831 and were struck
in 1832-33 under the auspices of Kenneth McKenzie and
Pierre Choteau, Jr., representatives on the frontier of the
New York based American Fur Company. “Fort Union” was
located at the junction of the Missouri river and the mouth of
the Yellowstone river; it was established circa 1829-30.
“U.M.O.” stands for Upper Missouri Outfit. Six were struck
in 1842 in silver at a cost of $3 each; these were the last
made (at the request of the western company to Ramsay
Crooks, Astor ’s successor as President of the American Fur
Company). The U.S. government gave permission to strike
these medals as “ornaments” (not medals); their use was pro-
hibited by order of the Secretary of War on March 22, 1844,
after federal Indian Agents complained about their distribu-
tion. The first ones were seen on the frontier in 1837-38; the
first one to come to the notice of collectors appeared in 1882.
(3) The size of the regular medal is 65 mm. (not 64 mm., as
given in your sale description). Cast copies, in silver, have
been reported, that are said to be slightly smaller than the
genuine struck pieces. Hopefully, your medals are struck and
authentic.
(4) The regularly struck and issued medals were in silver.
Belden stated: “There is said to be, in the possession of the
Astor family a specimen in silver, and a Proof, not pierced, in
copper. The late Benjamin Betts had one described as ‘silver
gilt’. (Not the copper, silvered and gilt piece mentioned in
your ‘New York Journal’ clipping of Jan. 12, 1898!) One or
two others in silver have come to the notice of the writer.” A
VF or better silver specimen, holed, was sold as lot #116 of
the W.H. Hunter, Toronto, coll., sold by S. H. Chapman,
Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 9-10, 1920. It realized $350, and is
now in the collection of the American Numismatic Society in
New York City. This medal was “found on the prairie south
of Dickinson, North Dakota, in 1882” by one F. J. Haynes,
going from him to W. C. Wyman, to Hunter. Another speci-
men in silver, unholed, is in the collection of the Missouri
Historical Society, St. Louis, Mo. Possible half-a-dozen, or
more, exist in silver at the present time, excluding whatever
you have.
(5) The Astor medal is also found in copper. One in the C. I.
Bushnell coll., lot #362, S. H. & H. Chapman, June 20-24,
1882, was silvered. That one was bought by early N.Y.C. coin
dealer David Proskey for $1.60. The Fine-VF one in copper,
also silvered (and subsequently gilt), had roughened surfaces;
that, of course, per your “New York Journal” clipping, was
lot #293 in the sale of part of the Benjamin Betts coll., L. H.
Low, Jan. 11-12, 1898. The realized (reported) price of $125
seems incongruous considering the 1882 Bushnell record of
$1.60; I have a priced copy of the sale catalogue that gives the
selling price as $1.25! No doubt the copper examples were
also presented to Indians.
(6) The Astor medal is also found in white metal or “tin”. A
regular one in that metal appeared as lot #2224 in the
Thomas Warner coll., also sold by the Chapman Bros., June
9, 14, 1884. It was Ex. Fine and sold for $8.00. Another one
in “tin”, lot #361 in the Bushnell sale, was apparently a pat-
tern or die trial, since it was 81 mm., (instead of 65 mm.);
that piece was likewise EF, and sold for $8.50. That one, ac-
cording to Belden, went to a man named Gunther, then to
the Chicago Historical Society, and is probably in that part of
the Virgil Brand coll, still held by the family.
(7) The Astor medals in white metal may also have been in-
tended for presentation, as other fur companies (Pierre
Choteau, Jr. & Co., the Union Fur Company) issued pieces in
base alloy in 1843-44. I purchased one of these in a London
sale, a few years ago, for a few hundred dollars.
— 158 -
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
I am sorry that I cannot supply you with more up to date in-
formation, but as I explained earlier, all of my modern source
material is not available to me. However, the above data
should give you a good idea of what medals are known.
In exchange for it, I would like to have two photographs of
each side of each medal, glossy, ACTUAL SIZE, together
with accurate measurements of the diameter of each medal
and of the thickness of each medal. It also would be helpful if
you could ascertain (and provide) the EXACT weight in
grains or grams of each piece. Armed with this information, I
would be happy to give you a bid for lot 2158 that would,
most probably, buy it.
To arrive at a proper idea of what the two medals might be
worth to me, I would have to know (a) if one or both are au-
thentic, and (b) what the piece you call “base silver” is made
out of. It is either another example in regular silver, or a cast
copy, or one in tin or white metal, gilt.
If you were not on the other side of the world, I would re-
quest that you send the two medals to me for examination.
However, I think that the photos, if of high quality, might be
helpful, as will your conclusions once you digest the contents
of this long letter and restudy the pieces. In this connection,
the unholed “base silver” piece should ring if silver and
should not if white metal. I cannot tell from your Xerox
copies if the surfaces of either medal appear to be cast, but
the fields of the unholed example appear to be different from
that of the other. That, of course, could be the applied gilt. I
gather, from their appearances, that both of your Xerox
copies were taken from the actual medals. If so, they both
may be O.K., as the reproductions measure close to a full
66.0 mm.
I trust that you will find the contents of this letter useful. I
also hope that you understand that I would like to add the
two medals and the pencil holder artifact to my collection.
Kindly get back to me as soon as you can, and also please see
that I receive two copies of the sale catalogue.
Sincerely yours,
John J. Ford, Jr.
John Jacob Astor
Courtesy of The Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-67922
— 159 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
FORD DETAILS BETTS -ASTOR PEACE MEDAL
This article, authored by Mr. Ford himself, was one of his favorites. Along with the
story of the 1783 Nova Constellatio coins, Mr. Ford considered this his best modern
numismatic writing. Originally appearing in Coin World in December 1982. Stack’s is
pleased to re-print it here for the benefit of today’s collectors.
Following the record-smashing prices realized for
the 16 struck silver (original) United States Indian
Peace medals in the fourth and last of the Garrett sales
in Los Angeles March 25, 1981, Canadian dealer W. L.
Barrett announced the rediscovery of a long “lost”
American Indian Peace medal of exceptional impor-
tance.
The piece obtained by Bill Barrett is unlike any of
the Garrett collection medals in that it is one of the
very few privately made U.S. IPM issues. It is the leg-
endary specimen of the “Astor” American Fur Com-
pany Indian Peace medal, originally in the famous
collection of Brooklyn, N.Y., collector Benjamin Betts.
The Betts holdings were sold at public auction in New
York City Jan. 11-12, 1898, by pioneer dealer Lyman
H. Low....
Recognizing the considerable historical value of Bar-
rett’s rediscovered piece, COIN WORLD contacted
New York collector and semi-retired dealer John J.
Ford Jr., who has long had a strong interest in Indian
Peace (or “Chief,” as the British would have it ) medals
and who is said to possess a pretty fair collection of
them himself.
Following a pattern established between COIN
WORLD and Ford 19 years ago, we conducted a tele-
phone-letter interview with him. We are pleased to
share his data and comments with our readers. - Editor
COIN WORLD: W.L. Barrett, in disclosing his
acquisition of the Betts (Astor) American Fur
Company medal to us, tells us that you have
seen it. In fact, he said that you had the medal
photographed for him. Can you tell us some-
thing about it from a technical view point?
FORD: Gladly! The piece appears to be silver-gilt. It
is 64.45mm in diameter, has a maximum thickness of
2.80mm, and weighs 1,252.40 grains.
COIN WORLD: From the photos sent to us by
Bill Barrett, the surfaces of his “Astor” medal
appear to be granular and/ or porous. How do
you explain that?
FORD: After having the Betts-Barrett medal photo-
graphed, I took a look at the silver (ex Hunter) specimen
in the collection of the American Numismatic Society,
and concluded that both were struck upon cast flans.
This was a common practice in the manufacture of
large medals in this country in the years preceding the
Civil War. In addition, the Betts gilt example obtained
both its gold appearance and its porosity as a result of a
process known as fire-gilding. Simply put, this is a
technique where an amalgam of gold and mercury is
applied to an item ’s surfaces and then subjected to heat,
vaporizing the mercury and leaving a thin layer of
gold. Aesthetically, the process leaves much to be de-
sired, particularly if the application is made upon a
cast item or one having the minute occlusions or other
characteristics of a cast surface (as in the present in-
stance).
COIN WORLD: Where is the “Astor: medal of
the American Fur Company written up? Can you
tell us what the relevant references might be?
FORD: The Numismatic texts referring to the
“Astor” medals are: (1) “Indian Peace Medals Issued in
the United States,” B.L. Belden, A.N.S., New York City,
N.Y., 1927, pages 39-43, Plate 20; (2) “Indian Peace
Medals in American History,” F.P. Prucha, S.J., Uni-
versity of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Neb., 1976 (first
published in 1971 by the State Historical Society of
Wisconsin), pages 139-142. Both books are still avail-
able with some difficulty, the Belden work in the form
of a reprint by Norm Flayderman published nearly 20
years ago.
COIN WORLD: Can you tell us briefly when
the American Fur Company Indian Peace
medals bearing John Jacob Astor’s bust were
made and who actually issued them?
FORD: The medals were first proposed in 1831 and
initially struck in 1832-33 under the auspices of Ken-
neth McKenzie and Pierre Chouteau Jr. (nephew of one
of the founders of St. Louis), who were representatives
on the frontier of the New York based American Fur
Company. They were struck in small quantities as
needed on and off for about 10 years; six, for instance,
were struck in 1842 at a cost of $3 each, these being the
last produced. The first ones are recorded as having
been seen on the frontier in 1837-38; the first to come to
the notice of collectors appeared in the early 1800s, Ben-
jamin Betts having obtained his circa 1885-87.
COIN WORLD: The reverse of W.L. Barrett’s
“Astor” medal bears the designation FORT
UNION above and U.M.O. below. Where and
what was Fort Union and what does U.M.O.
mean?
FORD: “Fort Union” was located on the Missouri
river about six miles above the mouth of the Yellowstone
River, this being on the present-day North Dakota-Mon-
tana border. According to one authority, it was a stock-
aded fortress, about 120 feet square, and was securely
located on a high bank. It was established in 1829-30.
“U.M.O.” stands for Upper Missouri Outfit.
— 160 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
COIN WORLD: You have said that the last of
the Astor portrait medals were struek in 1842.
Why did the management of the American Fur
Company stop making and using them? It would
seem that they had a good thing going, produc-
ing an item which undoubtedly gave them a lot
of mileage with the Indians at a nominal cost of
only $3 per medal.
FORD: The last six “Astor” medals were made at the
request of an affiliated western company to Ramsay
Crooks, Astor’s successor as president of the American
Fur Company. The U.S. government originally gave
permission for these medals to be struck as “orna-
ments” (not medals), but medals they were, and the fed-
eral Indian agents in the field started complaining
loudly about their issuance and use soon after the first
ones were distributed. Despite numerous complaints,
Washington moved slowly, and it was not until March
22, 1844 that the Secretary of War prohibited their
manufacture and distribution.
COIN WORLD: Have you any idea of how
many of these medals were made and issued?
FORD: No, I don’t but 1 am quite sure that only a
limited number were produced. As 1 have stated, they
were apparently made in small quantities as requested
by the people on the frontier. The official U.S. govern-
ment medals were also made in small quantities: for in-
stance, only 106 of the large size (76mm) Martin Van
Buren IPMs dated 1837 were actually presented to In-
dians. It should be remembered that the federally is-
sued medals were intended for utilization on the entire
frontier, while the American Fur Company medals were
sent to only one or two fur trading posts. Therefore, it
should not be surprising that only a few “Astor” medals
(of all kinds) are known, with a couple of the variations
being unique.
COIN WORLD: Were these American Fur
Company issued medals, as given to the Indians,
struck in silver like the official issues of the gov-
ernment?
FORD: Yes, The apparent total usurpation of the na-
tional government’s prerogative to strike and present
medals is what brought the free enterprise operation of
the American Fur Company to a stop. Not only were the
privately made pieces practically the same size as the
medium size (62mm) government issues, but it is be-
lieved that the majority of pieces distributed by the fur
traders were of plain silver and not silver-gilt. Concur-
rently (1843-44) with the word from Washington to
cease competition, different medals, portraying Wash-
ington and Van Buren, were made in St. Louis by suc-
cessor and/or related firms (Pierre Chouteau Jr. & Co.,
the Union Fur Company), but these were comparatively
crude looking and struck in white metal. They didn’t go
over well with the natives, who, despite being ignorant
savages, recognized “Mickey Mouse” substitutes when
they saw them.
COIN WORLD: We referred to the 1927 Belden
text before commencing this interview, and
noted Bauman Belden’s comments concerning
the Astor portrait medals: “ There is said to be,
in the possess: an of the Astor family a specimen
in silver, and a proof, not pierced, in copper.
The late Benjamin Betts had one described as
‘silver gilt.’ One or two others in silver have
come to the notice of the writer.” What are the
“Astor” medals found in?
FORD: The 64.50mm American Fur Company
medals having the Astor bust were seemingly made in
silver, copper, copper-gilt, copper-silvered, and tin, in
addition to silver-gilt. I firmly believe that there was a
considerable experimentation when production com-
menced in an effort to produce a product that could
technically be called an “ornament,” rather than a
medal. A gold-finished medal could presumably be la-
beled an ornament, but as I have indicated it is my
thinking that manufacturing difficulties discouraged
this concept. While the copper and tin pieces may have
been only experimental, it is possible that some may
have been shipped west and presented, but I have not as
yet found any documentation concerning this.
COIN WORLD: Who cut the dies for the
“Astor” medals; who struck them?
FORD: It is believed that Charles Cushing Wright
cut the dies. We do not presently know who struck them.
It could have been any of the larger firms doing busi-
ness in New York City during the early 1830s, includ-
ing Wright’s own medallic firm of Wright & Bale.
COIN WORLD: We know from what you have
said that the Astor portrait Indian Peace medals
made by the American Fur Company are ex-
treme rarities, any or all of them. Following this
assumption, could you venture a guess what one
might be worth considering the prices realized
by Bowers & Ruddy Galleries for the Garrett
U.S. government silver medals?
FORD: The last American auction record for a
64.50mm “Astor” medal that I know of was for the one
in the W.H. Hunter, Toronto, collection, sold by S.H.
Chapman of Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 9-10, 1920. As lot
#116 in that offering (represented by the last of the
large size catalogs published by Samuel Hudson Chap-
man), it was purchased by the American Numismatic
Society for $350. That specimen, as I mentioned earlier,
remains in the ANS collection and is ungilded silver.
Sixty years ago, “regular” U.S. silver Indian Peace
medals were selling in the $30 to $60 range. Valuewise,
since comparable U.S. issues in the Garrett IV offering
realized $3,250 (lot # 1926) to $9,000 (lot #1928), you
can project your own figures and draw your own con-
clusions. Historically, the Astor portrait medals, with
its cute presidential obverse inscription in similitude to
the U.S. official medals, and its unique niche in our
frontier history, not to speak of John Jacob Astor’s
prominence, is in a class by itself. In my opinion, price
or value is basically a question of perspective combined
with a feel for what is actually important. Bill Barrett
should be heartily congratulated for rescuing the Ben-
jamin Betts “Astor” medal from obscurity, and I trust
that should he decide to dispose of it, that he will make
sure that it finds a proper home.
161 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Astor Medals
A LOVELY SILVER AMERICAN FUR COMPANY ASTOR MEDAL
One of Only Seven Confirmed
The Finest Seen in Private Hands
182 American Fur Company, John Jacob Astor Indian Medal, n.d. [1832-42]. Silver. Prucha 61,
Belden 65. Very nice and clean Choice Very Fine. 64.9mm. Rims 3.5 - 3.8mm. thick. 1,719.4 gns.
Neatly holed near the top rim without breaking through the edge. Pale silver gray in color on both
sides. Fairly evenly worn but without suffering any serious and disfiguring marks. Altogether, quite a
remarkable piece. The Finest Example in Silver Owned Privately. Far superior to the double
holed piece Stack’s sold in January, 2003, the only other silver piece confirmed known in private
hands.
Extremely rare: The cataloguer can point to only seven confirmed and two rumored American Fur
Company Astor medals known in silver: (1) American Numismatic Society ex Hunter:116 (S.H. Chap-
man, December 9, 1920) for a then princely $350, originally found on the prairie south of Dickinson,
Dakota Territory in the summer of 1882 by photographer Frank Jay Haynes near a human skull with
a bullet hole in it and part of an old flint lock rifle; (2) Missouri Historical Society; (3) University of
North Dakota; (4) Iowa State Historical Society but reverse without any inscriptions; (5) Minnesota
Historical Society ex the Gabriel Franchere Family, founder of Astoria in Oregon for the American Fur
Company; (6) this specimen; (7) lot 1519 in Stack’s 2003 Americana Sale ex lot 535 of Sotheby’s (Lon-
don) sale of April 16, 1985; (8) rumored in a private New York collection; (9) rumored in a private mid-
western collection. The Glenbow and Denver Museum Collections, notable for their breadth, do not
contain an Astor medal, nor is there one in the Schermer Collection at the National Portrait Gallery.
As might be expected from its rarity, American Fur Company Astor medals appear at auction very
infrequently. The last sale of a silver American Fur Company Astor medal was in these rooms in Janu-
ary, 2003. That piece had come from a Sotheby’s (London) auction in 1985. Going backwards, the
Spink (Australia) sale of 1980 was the next in line to offer an Astor medal (this example). Previously,
the only other modern American auction record the cataloguer can conveniently recall was the 1920
Hunter sale at which the ANS bought its unholed relict.
Ex Spink & Son (Australia), Pty. ’s sale of November 20, 1980, lot 228B.
— 162 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION: Astor Medals
183 American Fur Company, John Jacob Astor Indian Medal, n.d. [1832-42]. Copper, gilt.
Prucha 61, Belden 65. Choice Extremely Fine. From the same dies as the silver medal in the pre-
ceding lot. 64.9mm. Rims 4.0 - 4.6mm. thick. 1,732.6 gns. Not holed. Even, rich yelow gold in color on
both sides, the gilding barely worn except for the highest points, the color having aged very nicely. A
few scattered and shallow marks, some hairlines, but a clean piece with no serious defects. Extremely
rare: the cataloguer can confirm the existence of only five fire-gilt copper American Fur Company
Astor medals: (1) American Numismatic Society ex lot 1140 of H.P. Smith’s sale of the Charles Sted-
man Collection (November 17, 1882), described as having planchet flaws; (2) Missouri Historical Soci-
ety; (3) University of North Dakota; (4) this example; (5) Long Island collection. The Finer of the
Two Privately Owned. This example is unknown to the collecting fraternity, having passed via pri-
vate treaty sale into the Ford Collection.
The origin and purpose of the Astor medals were intimately bound
up with the history of the fur trade in the Missouri River watershed.
The idea for a silver medal to be distributed to Indians by agents of
the American Fur Company (AFC) was the brainchild of Kenneth
McKenzie. McKenzie had worked for the Northwest Company in
Canada and the Columbia Fur Company in America. When the latter
firm was taken over by Astor’s American Fur Company, McKenzie
was put in charge of the firm’s Missouri interests and operated as
the Upper Missouri Outfit (UMO).
In 1828, McKenzie’s outfit founded a post just north of the conflu-
ence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers, which came to be
known as Fort Union. The fort, described as the best in the west,
was a 240 x 220 foot square shaped stockade with walls 20 feet high
and stone bastions on two corners. Inside were quarters for the fac-
tor, men, and Indian scouts. In the center, flanking the flag pole,
were cannon trained on the main gate, in case of an attack. Nations
the fort was meant to service included the Mandan, Hidatsa, Assi-
noboin, and Yankton Sioux.
McKenzie’s hopes for the success of his trade out of Fort Union
along the Yellowstone and upper Missouri depended on his being
able to outsell his British rivals from the Hudson’s Bay Company. In
1831, he proposed to Pierre Chouteau, Jr., who managed the western
interests of Astor’s American Fur Company, that silver medals be
made as presents for the Indians, to offset the advantage the Hud-
son’s Bay men had over the Upper Missouri Outfit boys in the war
for the Indians’ hearts and minds.
Chouteau agreed with McKenzie’s assessment, writing (August 17,
1831) to the main AFC office in New York “It is at this establish-
ment [i.e., Fort Union] that we shall have to combat the opposition
of the English traders, who have a fort not far distant, and who, as is
their custom, will undoubtedly do everything in their power to excite
the Indians against us. This difficulty might nevertheless be some
what diminished if the government could be persuaded to place at
our disposal a few presents, which would be delivered to the Indians
in the name of the President of the United States. The English gov-
ernment, if I am well informed, allows the Northwest Company [i.e.,
an old habit, Chouteau meant the Hudson’s Bay Company] an an-
nual sum for this particular purpose. A little indulgence of this na-
ture on the part of the government will secure the confidence and
friendship of these savages toward us.”
Ramsey Crooks, to whom the McKenzie-Chouteau idea was di-
rected at the AFC, enquired of Secretary of War Lewis Cass, an old
crony of Chouteau’s, who, perhaps not unexpectedly, replied that the
government saw no problem with the American Fur Company issu-
ing medals on its own authority. As Chittenden so nicely described
Cass’ decision “The way in which a government delegated a function
which belonged only to itself, but concealed its action under a fiction
of words, is described in a letter from Crooks to Chouteau November
16, 1832: ‘...and the medals for his [i.e., McKenzie’s] outfit are in the
hands of the die maker, who, I hope, will give us a good likeness de
notre estimable grand-papa [Astor], I wrote to Washington about
them, and the War Office made no objection to our having these or-
naments made. Remember, they are ornaments, not medals.’ ”
There was some objection to the Astor medals, but it came not
from public spirited citizens. Rival fur trading firms complained to
Washington that the American Fur Company had usurped the au-
thority of the government by distributing medals along the frontier.
On an enquiry from Washington about these matters, Chouteau
replied “...before the die for the Astor medals was struck the matter
was submitted to Governor Cass, then Secretaiy of War, who gave
his consent to the measure, and a sample of the medals was de-
posited with the department accompanied by letters of the President
of the American Fur Company.”
Ex Bowers & Merena privately on July 22, 1992.
— 163 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
Fort Union, 1864
State Historical Society of North Dakota, A4352
— 164 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
THE PIERRE CHOUTEAU MEDALS
The Chouteau medals were made in St. Louis, Missouri in
1843 from dies engraved locally by a Mr. B. Mead (possibly of
Mead & Adriance). Pierre Chouteau, Jr. & Co. had tried to
respond to Indian demands for medals by requesting addi-
tional Astor medals from Ramsay Crook, president of the
American Fur Company. It will be remembered that
Chouteau was instrumental in obtaining permission to make
and distribute the Astor medals in 1831-2. Crook had six
Astor medals struck in the fall, 1843, but these were cer-
tainly too few to fill the need for medals on the frontier. The
Mead designed pieces fit the bill nicely, as they copied the
federal types, were noticeably larger and not silver, and could
be made at home in St. Louis.
Despite these precautions, taken in the hopes of avoiding
the opposition raised earlier in Washington to the silver Astor
medals, distribution of the Chouteau medals was prohibited
after March, 1844 by order of the Secretary of War. How
many may have been made between the fall of 1843 and the
following spring is unknown. It could have been hundreds, or
just a few. The original mintage is essentially irrelevant, how-
ever, since the Chouteau medal is a great rarity today.
Pierre Chouteau, Jr. (1789-1865) was the grandson of the
founder of both St. Louis, Missouri and the Chouteau fam-
ily’s fortune in the fur trade. Pierre began trading with the
Osage Indians at the age of 15. He successfully negotiated a
deal with Astor’s American Fur Company, his chief competi-
tor in the west, and by 1834 was able to take over its busi-
ness there. With uncommon prescience, Chouteau recognized
the coming end of the mountain fur trade and by 1839 reor-
ganized his company to concentrate on the commercial value
of the plains buffalo herds. He died in 1865, blind but rich,
having recently sold his firm.
Pierre Chouteau, Jr.
Courtesy of the Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis
— 165 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
A VERY FINE CHOUTEAU MEDAL
Among the Finest Seen
184 Pierre Chouteau, Jr.’s George Washington Indian Peace Medal, 1843. Obverse signed B.
MEAD, D.S. Pewter. Prucha 62, Belden 66. 87.6mm. Rims 3.6 - 3.9mm. thick. 2,133.0 gns. Very Fine
or slightly better. Pale gray in color on both sides. Holed into the top edge for attachment of a copper
suspension (now missing).
Very rare: there are probably fewer than 25 of these in all collections. There is one in the Crane
Collection (Denver), found in a grave near Missoula, Montana in 1939. The ANS has two and there is
one in the University of North Dakota’s collection but the Glenbow Museum and the Schermer Collec-
tion (National Portrait Gallery) each lack a specimen. There was no Chouteau medal in the Garrett,
Dreyfuss, Hunter, Wilson, or Senter sales. The St. Louis Historical Society is said to have the
Chouteau medal dies. This example is among the finest seen by the cataloguer.
Unforgivingly described by Mr. Ford in his inimitable style as “Sharpness of VF-35 with traces of
lustre, but badly handled: obvious obverse edge gouge above OF, rims shaved or narrowed upon both
sides at about 1 o’clock, other edge, rim, border damage, principally upon reverse, serious diagonal cuts
or scratches at 1-2:00 upon obverse obliterating UN, parts of TRY (of COUNTRY), similar but lesser
obverse defacement in legend and below at 7 o’clock progressing to R., several light scratches upon
both sides. Flan very slightly bent. Clearly not a restrike or remainder.”
The medal is accompanied by an old paper exhibition label from an undated “Birmingham Mission-
ary Exhibition” describing the medal as “Medal given to the chief of Sioux Tribe before he fled to
Canada” and as loaned to the exhibition by a “Lord Hatherton.” There were several exhibitions
mounted in Birmingham, England by various missionary societies in the 1870’s. There were several
bands of Sioux that fled to Canada to escape murderous attacks by U.S. armed forces in the 1870’s.
The title Baron Hatherton was created in 1835 for Edward John Littleton (1791-1863) and was succes-
sively held through the 19th c.
Ex Sotheby’s (London) sale of July 23, 1969, lot 374.
— 166 -
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
185 George Washington Indian Peace Medal, 1789. White metal. Obverse signed H.K.M. Pr.64, B.
plate 22, III. Fine. 62.7mm. Rims 5.0 - 5.3mm. thick. 1,498.6 gns. Plain edge. Holed, wire loop. Quite
rough in appearance, some rim damage on both sides. From the same obverse as the next two but a dif-
ferent reverse. These are said to have been made sometime shortly after the end of the third quarter of
the 19th c. This example has a paper or parchment tag through the loop identifying it as “From
PEATWYTUK Sac and Fox” on one side and “Omaha Exposition 1898” on the other. The Trans-Mis-
sissippi & International Exposition was held in Omaha that year. The Indian Congress opened there in
August, sponsored by the Smithsonian.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
186 George Washington Indian Peace Medal, 1789. White metal. Obverse signed H.K.M. Pr.64, B.
plate 22, III. Choice Very Fine. 62.7mm. Rims 4.8 - 5.0mm. thick. 1,160.9 gns. Reeded edge. Holed, wire
loop, red ribbon remnant. Nice, even pale gray on fairly clean surfaces. Light scratches in the right ob-
verse field, name scratched on reverse rim at right. From the same obverse as the preceding, same dies
as the next.
Ex Virgil Brand Collection via Michael Brand Zeddies on February 18, 1960.
— 167 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
187 George Washington Indian Peace Medal, 1789. Aluminum. Obverse signed H.K.M. Pr.64, B. plate
22, III. Choice Extremely Fine. 62.5mm. Rims 5.9 - 6.3mm. thick. 592.6 gns. Plain edge. Not holed.
Bright silver gray with minimal signs of handling. From the same obverse as the preceding two, same
reverse as the immediately preceding.
Ex Norm Pullen on August 22, 1977.
188 Edward Knox Elder Osage Medal, 1911. Silver. 38.1mm. 363.3 gns. Bust of Osage Wah-She-Ha;
crossed pipe and hatchet above clasped hands, inscriptions around. Choice Proof. Nicely toned. Holed
as usual. Elder was a trader in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, seat of the Osage nation. He is said to have made
a few (five?) medals in silver for presentation to the major Osage leaders and others in German silver
(25?), brass (25?), copper (15?), and aluminum (400?).
Ex Wayte Raymond Estate.
— 168 —
THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
189 Tammany Medal. Undated. Uniface. Lead. Irregular outline and mis-struck. 43.1mm. Two standing
figures, native with pipe in cloud of tobacco smoke on left, European with Jacobean era tall hat on
right, the pair shaking hands. Legend around indistinct. Plain edge.
Ex F.C.C. Boyd Estate.
END OF THE JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION— PART 16
Keokuk, Chief of the Sauk and Fox Nation
— 169 —
JOHN J. FORD, Jr. COLLECTION
COINS, MEDALS AND CURRENCY— Part XVI
INDEX
MEDALS STRUCK FOR PRESENTATION TO
NORTH AMERICAN FIRST PEOPLES BY
FRANCE, SPAIN, GREAT BRITAIN AND
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 1680-1890
Pages
“John J. Ford, Jr., An Appreciation from a Friend,” by Mike Hodder 2
FRENCH AND SPANISH MEDAL TYPES
Introduction 3
French Medals, Lots 1-4 4, 5
Spanish Medal, Lot 5 6
BRITISH MEDALS
Introduction 7
Charles II, Lots 6-11 7-9
William and Mary, Lots 12-17 10, 11
Queen Anne, Lots 18-25 12, 13
George I, Lots 26-30 14, 15
George II, Lots 31-46, including the Treaty of Easton Medals 16-21
George III
Montreal Medals of 1760, Lots 47, 48 22-25
Happy While United Medal, Lot 49 25
The Lion and Wolf Medals, Lots 50, 51 26, 27
George III and Queen Charlotte Medal, Lot 52 27
Undated Indian Medals, Lots 53-74 28-40
The 1794 Simcoe Medals, Lots 75, 76 40
The War of 1812 Medals, Lots 77-89 41-47
NATIVE AMERICAN TRADE AND OTHER SILVER
A putative Ohio Miami Gorget, Lot 90 48
Coin Silver Soup Spoon, Lot 91 49
British and Irish Military and Civil Gorgets, Lots 92-98 50-56
Brass Pocket Compass and Sundial, Lot 99 57
WASHINGTON SEASONS MEDALS
The Shepherd, Lots 100-102 58, 59
The Sower, Lots 103, 104 60
The Spinner, Lots 105, 106 61
170 —
SILVER INDIAN PEACE MEDALS STRUCK BY
THE UNITED STATES MINT
Introduction 62-64
“Where are all the Indian Peace Medals?” by George Fuld 65, 66
John Adams 67
Thomas Jefferson, Lots 107-110 68-73
James Madison, Lots 111-116 74-78
James Monroe, Lots 117-119 79-83
John Quincy Adams, Lots 120-124 84-88
Andrew Jackson, Lots 125-131 89-95
Martin van Buren, Lots 132-135 96-99
William Henry Harrison 99
John Tyler, Lots 136-138 100-102
James Polk, Lots 139-142 103-108
Zachary Taylor, Lots 143-145 109-112
Millard Fillmore, Lots 146-149 113-116
Franklin Pierce, Lots 150-153 117-122
James Buchanan, Lots 154, 155 123-126
Abraham Lincoln, Lots 156-167 127-135
Andrew Johnson, Lots 168-171 136-140
Ulysses Grant, Lots 172-174 141-144
Rutherford B. Hayes 145
James Garfield, Lot 175 146-148
Chester Arthur, Lot 176 149-151
Grover Cleveland 152
Benjamin Harrison, Lots 177, 178 153-156
20th Century Washington Indian Peace Medals, Lots 179-181 156, 157
MEDALS PRIVATELY ISSUED FOR PRESENTATION TO
FIRST PEOPLES
The American Fur Company John Jacob Astor Medals
Introduction by John J. Ford, Jr. 158, 159
“Ford Details Betts-Astor Peace Medal,” by John J. Ford, Jr. 160, 161
Lots 182, 183 162-164
The Pierre Chouteau Medals
Introduction 165
Lot 184 166
Miscellaneous 19th and 20th Century Medals, Lots 185-189 167-169
— 171 —
Notes
TERMS OF SALE
These terms of sale are designed to conform to the Amended Rules for Public Auction Sales in New York City
by the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Bylaws of the Professional Numismatists Guild, Inc.
1. This public auction sale is conducted pursuant to these Terms of Sale by licensed and bonded auctioneers, Harvey G.
Stack. #0522763 and Lawrence R. Stack, #0798114.
2. Each bidder, by bidding in the sale, agrees that a 15% BUYER'S CHARGE will be added to the “hammer
price" or winning bid of each lot as determined by the auctioneer. This 15% BUYER’S FEE will be added to the
invoice of each successful bidder over and above the actual sum bid or offered. The Buyer’s Fee applies regardless of a
bidder’s affiliation with any group or organization, and is imposed on all bidders. No lots will be delivered or shown at
the auction. Auction sales are strictly for cash and must be paid for promptly in U.S. funds. STACK’S reminds you that
all bidders personally guarantee prompt payment in full. Checks are permitted with identification acceptable to
STACK’S. On any accounts past due, STACK’S reserves the right to extend credit and impose periodic charges as
stated in these Terms of Sale or on the invoice or statement. Buyer agrees to pay the reasonable attorney fees and
costs required to collect on such past due accounts. All lots delivered in New York State are subject to applicable Sales
Tax. Buyer agrees to pay any sales tax, use tax, and any other applicable taxes that now, or hereafter, are found to be
due by virtue of the sale, and to indemnify and hold STACK’S harmless for any sales or other taxes due thereunder,
including reasonable attorneys fees, costs and any interest or penalties assessed. Buyer shall also pay all shipping and
handling charges where applicable.
3. Purchasers claiming exemption from such taxes must submit resale or exemption certificates or other proof of exemp-
tion. Out-of-state Purchasers taking delivery in New York must provide an OSR certificate or pay applicable taxes
due. All purchasers represent that they are not seeking to acquire goods for personal, family, or household purposes,
but are bidding for resale purposes; and those submitting OSR’s additionally represent that they are professionals,
knowledgeable and fully aware of what they are purchasing, a representation upon which STACK’S relies in agreeing
to sell to Purchaser. Buyers picking up lots may be required to confirm this agreement in a separate writing.
4. STACK’S is not responsible for your errors in bidding. PLEASE BID ON THE CORRECT LOT.
5. All persons seeking to bid, whether in person, by an agent or employee, or by mail, must have a catalogue and register
to bid. By submitting a bid, whether in person, by mail, or through an employee or agent, the bidder acknowledges
receipt of the catalogue, and agrees to adhere to these terms of sale. The auctioneer may decline to recognize any
bidder who does not have a catalogue and has not registered and been given a paddle number. Any prospective bidder
may be required to establish credit references or submit a deposit of 25% of their bids. All new bidders should be
prepared to establish credit with the auctioneer prior to registering to bid.
6. By bidding, purchasing or offering to purchase in this sale, even if as an agent, or on behalf of a corporation or for
another individual, each bidder personally guarantees prompt payment and agrees to be personally liable for the
consequences of bidding; all bidders also personally guarantee prompt payment in full, including without limitation,
BUYER’S FEE, taxes, surcharges, postage, handling charges, storage costs and insurance charges.
7. STACK’S reserves the right to require payment in full before delivering lots to a successful bidder, and reserves the
right to require the principals, and directors of any corporate bidder to execute a guarantee of payment (which, in any
event they do by having an agent or employee bid in the sale) prior to allowing a bid to be placed or recognized.
8. STACK’S reserves the right to impose a late charge, based solely upon Purchaser’s failure to remit full and timely
payment, and which late charge is not related to any necessary storage of the material purchased. Said late charge is
calculated at a rate of D/2% per month (18% per annum), based on the purchase price if payment has not been made in
accordance with these Terms and Conditions of Sale. Purchases not collected within thirty (30) days of the date of sale
may, at the sole option of STACK’S, be resold for Purchaser’s account by STACK’S, with Purchaser liable for any
deficit after STACK’S receives a commission for the same in accordance with its agreement, and thereafter deducts all
expenses associated with the sale, including reasonable attorneys fees.
9. Bids are NOT accepted from minors. By bidding in this sale, the bidder represents and certifies that they are of legal
age, are authorized to make the bid that they make, and that the purchase is not a consumer sale or consumer credit
transaction.
10. Title remains with STACK’S until paid for in full. Should Purchaser take any action under Title 11 of the U.S.
Code, or any state insolvency law, Buyer agrees to promptly return to STACK’S, any lots not paid for. The Buyer
agrees to keep the lots fully insured until paid for. Risk of loss is on the Buyer.
11. The highest bidder as determined in the sole discretion of the auctioneer shall be the Buyer. If the auctioneer
determines that a dispute has arisen between two or more bidders, the lot may be immediately put up and sold again.
Bidders with whom the dispute previously arose shall be without further recourse for any damages whatsoever.
12. If you bid by mail, mail your bid sheet early. Mail bidders agree to and are subject to these terms of sale just as if
they were floor bidders.
13. The auctioneer reserves the right to refuse ridiculously low bids, which in the auctioneer’s sole discretion, are felt not
to have been made in good faith. The auctioneer reserves the right to open the lot at a reasonable price determined
solely by the auctioneer. The auctioneer shall also have sole discretion to set initial, and subsequent bidding incre-
ments, and to accept, or to decline to accept, challenges to those bidding increments. All bids not in whole dollar
amounts may be rounded downward by the auctioneer. The auctioneer may open bidding on any lot by placing a bid on
behalf of the Seller, a mail bidder, STACK’S, or another participant in the sale. The auctioneer may bid further on
behalf of the Seller up to the amount of the reserve by placing successive or consecutive bids for a lot, or by placing
bids in response to other bidders. The auctioneer may bid for his, or its, own account at any auction and may have
access to information concerning the lots, and items contained in them, that are not otherwise available to the public.
Estimates given are for the general guidance of the bidder and represent the opinion of the auctioneer as to the fair
market value of the numismatic item at the time of cataloguing, based on experience and comparable sale, if applica-
ble. The actual price realized may be higher, or lower than the estimate. If a lot is reserved, the reserve may not
exceed the maximum estimated price.
14. Auction sales are not approval sales. In the event of non-payment by the Buyer, STACK’S reserves any and all rights
that it would be entitled to under the Uniform Commercial Code, including Buyer’s consent to file a financing
statement without need of Buyer’s signature, and to offset any sums due on any future consignment or purchase or
monies or goods in possession of STACK’S or its assigns.
15. All bidders are encouraged to carefully examine all lots prior to the sale. No lots will be shown at the sale. STACK’S
assumes no risk, liability or responsibility for the material (or other) facts stated concerning the numismatic item,
except as specified herein. All floor buyers should acquaint themselves with the property sold since STACK’S will
assume that they have done so and requires that the Purchaser represent that they have. Bidders are deemed to have
satisfied themselves as to all of the matters set forth in the terms of sale.
16. STACK’S, as agent, offers a LIMITED WARRANTY that any numismatic item sold is authentic (i.e., not counterfeit,
that its date or mintmark has not been altered, and that the coin has not been repaired as those terms are used in the
trade). Except as set forth in this limited warranty and as may be required by the arts and cultural affairs law, and any
other law or regulation, all other warranties of authenticity of authorship, whether express or implied, are hereby
disclaimed.
17. Except as otherwise stated herein, all items offered in this catalogue are GUARANTEED TO BE GENUINE and
correctly attributed as defined below.
18. (a) NO LOT may be returned for any reason whatsoever without the prior written consent by STACK’S, or, in any
event, if it has been removed from its original container. No lots purchased by those who have viewed the lots
may be returned, unless the limited warranty provided in these terms of sale permits it.
(b) Grading is a subjective description in the opinion of the cataloguer as to the state of preservation, method of
strike, and overall appearance of a particular coin or lot. The term “proof’ or “specimen” is used to describe a method
of manufacture, and is not a grade or condition or an attribution.
(c) STACK’S does not represent that a numismatic item has or has not been cleaned; that any toning is natural or
artificial; that any coin catalogued will meet the standards, or the grade, of any third party or third party grading
service; that a numismatic item has a particular provenance or pedigree; that a numismatic item is struck or not
struck, or produced or not produced in a particular manner or style.
(d) Adjectival descriptions and terminology (which can and does vary among experts and knowledgeable purchasers),
when utilized in the catalogue, are strictly the opinion of the cataloguer and shall not be deemed to be part of the
description; i.e. it is an opinion only and not a warranty of any kind.
(e) Grading descriptions in this catalogue are provided strictly for the convenience of those who bid by mail and who
are unable to personally view the coins, and represents the cataloguer’s opinion of its state of preservation. Those
attending the sale, and those bidders who actually view the lots should draw their own conclusions as to the state of
preservation or grade of the numismatic item.
(D STACK’S may utilize numerical or adjectival descriptions, and may include lots that have been graded by others.
Opinions offered with respect to numismatic properties offered for sale by STACK’S are made at the time that the
numismatic item is catalogued, and do not refer to any prior or subsequent time.
(g) Where STACK’S sells a numismatic item graded and encapsulated by a grading service, Buyer acknowledges and
agrees that other grading services, STACK’S or knowledgeable purchasers might reach a different conclusion as to the
state of preservation of a particular item, and that STACK’S has presented the service’s description of the encapsulated
item for accommodation only. Any such information provided by STACK’S is the opinion of the third party, without
recourse against STACK’S in any way whatsoever.
(h) Except as otherwise expressly stated in the Terms of Sale, STACK’S and its agents and employees make
no warranties or guaranties or representations, and expressly disclaim all warranties and guaranties and
representations, including, without limitation, a warranty of merchantability, in connection with any numis-
matic properties sold by STACK’S.
(i) All oral and written statements made by STACK’S, are statements of opinion only and are not wan-anties or
representations of any kind, unless stated as a specific written warranty, and no employee or agent of STACK’S has
authority to vary or alter these Terms of Sale. Any alteration shall be effective only if in writing and signed by a
member of the firm.
(j) If not so stated expressly, the grade, artisanship, provenance, or attribution is the firm’s opinion only on which no
third party, including the bidder, is entitled to rely.
(k) STACK’S assumes no risk, liability or responsibility for the material (or other) facts stated concerning the
numismatic item, except as specified herein.
19. Unless otherwise stated, STACK’S acts only as agent for a Consignor and makes no independent warranty of title.
STACK’S offers the following LIMITED WARRANTY to Buyers with respect to all numismatic items offered for sale.
STACK’S warrants to all Buyers that the Consignor or the Seller has warranted good title to property offered for sale.
Any such warranty is predicated on the Owner or prior owner making the same warranty to STACK’S, upon which the
firm relies. In the event that it is finally determined that the Purchaser has not acquired transferable title, STACK'S
shall reimburse the Purchaser (if full payment has already been made) in accordance with these Terms of Sale, and
Buyer agrees that this is full compensation for any loss whatsoever, whether actual or otherwise. Tender of the check
by STACK’S to Buyer at the address specified on the bid sheet or registration form shall end the obligation of
STACK’S to the Buyer, even if the check is not endorsed or cashed. STACK’S and the Consignor make no representa-
tions or warranty that the Purchaser acquires any reproduction rights or copyright in property purchased at the sale.
20. STACK’S further expressly disclaims all warranties relating to the grade, condition, identification of the periods or
date of coining or manufacture or methods of manufacture of property which is inaccurate, or may be proved inaccu-
rate, by means of scientific process or research which is not generally accepted for use until after the sale.
21. STACK’S reminds the Buyer that the grading or condition of rare coins may have a material effect on the value of the
items purchased; that others may differ with the grading opinions or interpretations of STACK’S; that such difference
of opinion (including whether the coin has been cleaned, or is or is not of a particular grade or quality) is not
grounds to return an item purchased; and that all sales of items viewed by a Purchaser in advance of a sale, even if
the sale is by mail, are final.
22. By purchasing in this sale, Buyer agrees that they shall have no recourse against the Consignor for any reason
whatsoever. In the event that a warranty is offered with respect to grade or state of preservation or condition, it shall
be a specific warranty, in writing, signed by a member of STACK’S, and shall specify its terms and conditions and
duration. If any numismatic item is damaged in its removal from encapsulation, or during its encapsulation, it is at
the sole risk of the Purchaser. Because of the fungibility of numismatic items, any item removed from its holder may
not be returned for any reason whatsoever.
23. (a) On any claim made by a bidder, STACK’S must be advised in writing sent within seven days after receipt of
the material, or the date of the sale, whichever is the later; these dates apply whether or not the Buyer has received
the material. The disputed property must be returned to STACK’S in the same condition as sold by STACK’S, in
the same holder.
(b) These conditions are binding and absolute unless varied in writing by a principal of STACK’S or if the bylaws,
rules or regulations of the Professional Numismatists Guild, Inc., provide for a longer period, or give the Buyer a
greater right, in which case such bylaws, rules or regulations shall prevail. Any and all claims of the Buyer made in
violation of the Terms of Sale shall be deemed waived, and the Buyer shall be without further recourse.
24. If STACK’S, in its sole discretion, determines that any numismatic property is substantially and materially different
from that represented in the catalogue of sale, or in any written advertisement or material, the sale shall be cancelled
and STACK’S shall refund the purchase price to the Buyer. Unless provided otherwise in these terms or the PNG
bylaws, that shall be STACK’S sole obligation to Buyer.
25. The auctioneer and cataloguer, STACK’S, reserves the right to include its own material in any auction sale. The
auctioneer may have direct or indirect interests in these, and other items (other than its commission), and may collect
a minimum price in addition to the selling commission. This paragraph shall be deemed a part of the description of all
lots contained in the catalogue. The catalogue shall also be deemed a part of any invoice issued by the auctioneer. The
auctioneer may make loans or advances to consignors and/or prospective purchasers. The Consignor may be permitted
to bid on his, her or their own articles and to buy them back at the sale. Any Buyer who bids on or purchases their
own goods is required to pay for them, in full, as the terms of sale provide for together with the full buyer’s commis-
sion, and any other applicable surcharges, postage, handling, insurance fees and taxes, without rebate of any kind
whatsoever, unless provided for otherwise by contract with the auctioneer. The auctioneer reserves the right to make
accounting adjustments in lieu of payment. Settlement will follow the auction. The prices realized reflect the final
price called by the auctioneer and may include a bid of a consignor reacquiring their lot.
26. STACK’S, the auctioneer, and employees are “insiders” and may have access to confidential information not otherwise
available to the public with respect to value, provenance, availability, and other factors. Purchasers should make
themselves acquainted with the numismatic items that they are purchasing and avail themselves of the services of
outside consultants prior to engaging in any purchase. Bids are so much per LOT. No lots will be broken up unless
otherwise stated.
27. No bidder shall have any claim against the auctioneer, or STACK’S, for improper sequence of offering a lot.
28. On bullion items, bullion-like items, and encapsulated items graded by a grading service, Buyer agrees that there
shall be no right of return for any reason whatsoever. Buyer further agrees that due to market volatility, in event of
non-payment, STACK’S shall be entitled to damages that are the greater of selling price or market, together with any
supplementary or additional costs.
29. STACK’S at any time may rescind the sale in the event of non-payment or breach of the warranty of title.
30. The sole remedy that any participant in the auction shall have, whether bidding in person, by mail, or through an
employee or agent, for any claim or controversy arising out of the auction shall be a refund of the original purchase
price and premium paid, if any. Interest shall be paid by STACK’S at a rate of no greater than nine per cent (9%) per
annum, up to a maximum of six (6) years, unless the rules of the Professional Numismatists Guild, Inc. provide for a
higher rate of interest or a longer period of time, in which case such rules shall prevail. A lower rate, or shorter
period, may be decided by the arbitrators. Upon payment as determined by the arbitrators, or in full at the maximum
rates set forth above, or at an agreed rate, STACK’S shall be deemed released from any and all claims of the bidder
arising out of or in connection with the sale of such property. Purchaser agrees to execute prior to delivery of any
refund any documents reasonably requested to effect the intent of this paragraph. By bidding in this sale, all bidders
consent to these terms and all other terms of these conditions of sale.
31. STACK’S hereby disclaims all liability for damages, incidental, consequential or otherwise, arising out of or
in connection with the sale of any property by STACK’S to Purchaser. All bidders, even if unsuccessful purchas-
ers, agree to abide by this condition, and all other conditions of sale.
32. All rights granted to the Purchaser under the within terms of sale are personal to the Purchaser. Purchaser may not
assign or transfer any of these rights to any other person or entity, whether by operation of law or otherwise. Any
attempt so to assign or transfer any such rights shall be absolutely VOID and unenforceable. No third party may rely
on any benefit or right conferred by these Terms and Conditions of Sale and terms of warranty on any bidder or
Purchaser.
33. “Purchaser” shall mean the original purchaser of the property from STACK’S and not any subsequent owner or other
person who may have or acquire an interest therein. If Purchaser is an agent, the agency must be disclosed at the time
of sale, otherwise the benefits of the warranty shall be limited to the agent and not transferable to the undisclosed
principal.
34. Should any third party attempt to utilize any warranties contained herein, they shall first give STACK’S thirty (30)
days written notice by Registered Mail or Certified Mail Return Receipt Requested during which time STACK’S may,
should it choose to contest the third party’s claim, ask the Professional Numismatists Guild, Inc., or the American
Arbitration Association to appoint a panel of three arbitrators skilled in the field to make such a determination at
New York, N.Y. By seeking to use such remedy, the third party unequivocally and without reservation consents to
binding arbitration, and its conclusive and binding determination of any alleged damages as a sole remedy. With
respect to any other pertinent notice requirements, venue and personal and subject matter jurisdiction, said third
party is bound to the provisions pertaining to bidders, buyers and purchasers, as otherwise provided for in these Terms
of Sale.
35. In the event STACK’S shall, for any reason, be unable to deliver the property sought to be purchased, its liability
therefore shall be limited to the rescission of the sale and refund of the purchase price and buyer’s premium.
STACK’S hereby disclaims all liability for damages, incidental, consequential or otherwise, arising out of its
failure to deliver any property purchased, and all bidders agree to this disclaimer.
36. If it is determined that a bailment relationship exists while the material purchased is being held by STACK’S, for
Purchaser, said relationship constitutes a gratuitous bailment only, solely for the benefit of the purchaser/bailor, as
defined by the laws of the State of New York.
37. As a condition of bidding, bidder acknowledges that numismatic auction sales are unique in terms of their tradition
and industry practices. Each bidder agrees that any claim or controversy whatsoever arising out of this sale
shall be settled as follows: if demanded by either buyer, or STACK’S by binding arbitration at New York, New York,
under the rules then obtaining of the Professional Numismatists Guild, Inc., or as PNG rules may provide, the
American Arbitration Association. In the event that a dispute arises between STACK’S and a non-member of the PNG,
this means that the American Arbitration Association, at New York, N.Y., shall have exclusive jurisdiction over the
controversy. In any controversy concerning non-payment, STACK’S shall have the right to proceed by arbitration or by
a proceeding in any court of competent jurisdiction in the City, County, and State of New York, whichever is first
commenced by STACK’S. The arbitrator shall not have the power to alter the terms of condition of sale. Judgment on
any award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. The arbitrators, and any court, shall award the
prevailing party costs and reasonable attorney fees. By bidding in this sale you agree to be bound by the arbitration
provisions of the PNG as described above. Commencement of an arbitral proceeding, or confirmation of an award, as
well as any notice requirements connected with such proceeding, and any other required service of process, may be
made by STACK’S upon all bidders by registered or certified mail directed to the address of the bidder or purchaser as
listed on the bid sheet or application or form required at the time that a bidder number is issued, or by facsimile
transmission with proof of receipt. Bidder agrees that such service shall constitute full in personam jurisdiction. The
venue for such proceedings shall be the City of New York, State of New York and each bidder agrees to in personam
(personal) jurisdiction of the City of New York, State of New York. In all cases, the maximum liability of STACK’S for
any item sold shall be limited to the official price of record of the item at this sale, without provision for consequential
damages, or any other damages of any kind whatsoever, unless the PNG rules provide otherwise.
38. If the Purchaser fails to comply with one or more of these Terms and Conditions of Sale then, in addition to all other
remedies which it may have at law or in equity, STACK’S may, at its sole option, either (a) cancel the sale, retaining
as liquidated damages all payments made by the Purchaser, it being recognized that actual damages may be specula-
tive or difficult to compute, or (b) sell some or all of the numismatic property and some or all other property of the
Purchaser held by STACK’S, in a quantity sufficient in the opinion of STACK’S to satisfy the indebtedness, plus all
accrued charges. More than one such sale may take place at the option of STACK’S. Such sale may take place without
notice to Purchaser; if STACK’S gives notice, it shall be by regular mail to the address utilized on the bid sheet,
consignment agreement or other address known to the firm. Such sale will be at STACK’S standard commission rates
at public or private sale, within or without the City of New York, at which time (if the sale be at auction) the
defaulting party shall not bid. The proceeds shall be applied first to the satisfaction of any damages occasioned by
Purchaser’s breach, and then to the payment of any other indebtedness owing to STACK’S, including without limita-
tion, commissions, handling charges, the expenses of both sales, reasonable legal fees and collection agency fees and
any other costs or expenses incurred hereunder. If a lot or numismatic item is not paid for, and is sold by STACK’S for
Purchaser’s account, in accordance with the Uniform Commercial Code, STACK’S shall not be required to account to
the Purchaser for any excess proceeds. Purchaser is also liable to STACK’S if the proceeds of such sale or sales is
insufficient in the opinion of STACK’S to cover the indebtedness. If other property of Purchaser is also sold, any excess
of proceeds will be remitted to the Purchaser after first deducting the expenses set forth above. If Purchaser fails to
remit sums due to STACK’S, Purchaser grants to STACK’S a lien with respect to such sum, with interest to accrue
thereon at the judgment rate, until actually paid, which lien shall apply against any property of Purchaser, including
any future goods of Purchaser coming into possession of STACK’S. Purchaser hereby waives all the requirements
of notice, advertisement and disposition of proceeds required by law, including those set forth in New York
lien law, article 9, sections 200-204 inclusive, or any successor statute, with respect to any sale. Purchaser
waives a right to redeem.
39. The auctioneer reserves the right to postpone the sale by auction for a reasonable period of time as a result of any
significant event which, in the sole discretion of the auctioneer, makes it advisable to postpone the event. No bidder or
prospective bidder or purchaser or prospective purchaser shall have recourse as a result of any postponement. In any
event, no person may bid without registering, and ALL REGISTERED BIDDERS including mail bidders and agents by
registering or bidding agree to all of the above Terms and Conditions of Sale.
40. By bidding or offering to bid, bidders acknowledge that they have read all of the Terms and Conditions of Sale and
warranty contained herein and that they accept these terms and conditions without reservation. STACK’S reserves the
right to vary the Terms and Conditions of Sale by rider or other means communicated to bidders. By purchasing from
STACK’S, whether present in person, or by agent, by written bid, telephone or any other means, the bidder agrees to
be bound by these Terms and Conditions of Sale.
41. ALL ITEMS ILLUSTRATED ARE OF THE ACTUAL ITEMS BEING SOLD.
" Copyright 2006 by S [ ACK S New York City All rights in this catalogue are reserved. No part of the contents may be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever with-
out the written permission of the copyright holder.
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